The Devil's Crucible
by webspinner2
Summary: It's been three years since the birth of Alec and Magnus son Aiden and things couldn't be better, until the sudden death of an old warlock changes everything...
1. Chapter 1

**The Devil's Crucible (Sequel to Danse Macabre)**

_cru·ci·ble_ ˈkro͞osəb(ə)l/ _noun: crucible: a place or occasion of severe test or trial_

**_"_****_There is prodigious fear in seeking loose spirits"_**

_― _**_Arthur Miller_****_, _****_The Crucible_**

**Chapter 1**

Janus Dark puttered around his tiny potion shop in New York City carefully placing the arcane and unusual items, that were his stock-in-trade, back on the floor-to-ceiling shelves that lined the stone walls. The old fashioned bird cages containing his pet ravens had already been hung, and with any luck he would be back in business within a couple of days. It had been three years since he'd fled New York, concerned about the return of that frightful Lucia. He'd heard that Magnus Bane had disposed of his half sister in short order, but there was no point in taking chances, not where that family was concerned.

The ancient warlock put his hands into the cardboard box he was emptying and pulled out a fancy wooden sign that read 'The Mortar &amp; Pestle Potion Dispensary'. Dusting it off with the sleeve of his robe, the potion maker took it carefully outside and hung it over the door of his shop. He stood quietly for a few moments listing to the sounds of the city, hidden from the curious stares of his fellow New Yorkers by the deep shadows of the blind alley that sheltered the entrance to his shop. He had missed New York, its brashness and bustle and hoped he would be able to ply his trade here for many years to come. Taking a final deep breath, Janus Dark re-entered the shop. It was time for tea and to check any messages that had followed him from his shop in Moscow.

As the old potion master sat at the small round table in front of the fireplace enjoying his tea, he opened the first of the fire messages that had followed him from Russia, of course, it was from the Abbot of the Hellfire club. Dark heaved a sigh, it wasn't that he hadn't been expecting it, but the potion they required was complex and difficult to make under the best conditions, in the middle of a move, however, was definitely not the best of conditions. Once he finished his tea, he would have to dig out the ingredients and set to work on the order. Sometimes he wished he wasn't the only potion maker who could make the damn stuff.

The Hellfire Club had been good customers of his for generations and paid the exorbitant fees he charged without complaint. Still, he knew he was perhaps crossing a line doing business with them, and the last thing he wanted was trouble of any kind. He knew the Club boasted an exclusive membership of wealthy and powerful downworlders, mundanes and even shadowhunters, who had a taste for exotic, illegal and dangerous pleasures. The head of the organization was referred to as the Abbot or Abbess depending on the gender, and the rank and file were addressed as Brother or Sister and their given name.

Pushing away the remains of his now cold tea, Janus Dark reached across the table to grab an old, elaborately carved box. The slightest touch of his vermilion magic and the top sprang open revealing hundreds of recipe cards written in the potion maker's own spidery hand. He quickly flipped through the potions until he found the one he was looking for, 'Curatio Daemonium Insanitas', the cure for Demon Pox.

Curatio, cure, as if, Janus Dark thought to himself sarcastically, nothing could truly cure that insidious disease. The best that could be done was to cure the symptoms, in much the same way as insulin cured the symptoms of the mundane disease diabetes. Still it was a far site better than had been available at the turn of the last century. Then, men like Benedict Lightwood and his ilk, had to spend their millions on 'cures' that would at best slow the disease, and at worst do nothing at all.

The old potion maker moved around his shop selecting some ingredients from the shelves, and some from boxes that had yet to be fully unpacked. At last he picked up the final ingredient and noticed he was running low. There was enough for a single batch of the Curatio, but he would need to visit his supplier as soon as possible. With all the hustle and bustle of moving, he had forgotten to re-order. Janus Dark frowned slightly as he measured out the dark, reddish-brown powder. He had tried numerous times over the years to analyze the ingredients of this powder without success. Nor had he been able to find a substitute that was nearly as effective, so every few years he contacted the strange, reclusive warlock, Xavier Malum.

Finishing the preparation to his satisfaction, Janus Dark set it into the back of a small dark cupboard to cure. The Curatio would be ready to ship in three days, plenty of time to get up to Xavier's and put in a new order. Under normal circumstances he would have sent a fire message weeks ago and be expecting a new shipment at the shop. His own fault, he supposed, for being so distracted. He really was getting too old to do all this moving about. Maybe it was time to think about retirement, although that might make him very unpopular with the powerful, wealthy members of the Hellfire Club, particularly as he didn't know of anyone else who was making the Curatio.

It was getting late and Janus decided that he would get an early start in the morning. Xavier Malum lived in an decrepit old house outside of Salem, the town infamous for its witch trials in the late 1600's. Janus still felt a hearty dislike of the place, though no actual witch or warlock had been burned. Mundanes could be so paranoid and unpredictable at times. Fortunately their excesses usually only harmed themselves, still it was the idea of torturing and hanging witches that did not sit well with Dark.

The morning found Janus Dark knee deep in requests from local clients wishing to restock their cupboards with the herbs, potions and charms he specialized in. News certainly travelled fast among the downworlders of New York. One request had even come from Magnus Bane, and you didn't ignore the High Warlock of Brooklyn if you wanted a thriving business in this city. Sighing, Janus hoped he could get through this work and still make it to Salem before dark.

Heaving a deep sigh as he put the finishing touches on the last potion of the day, Janus Dark realized that the deep shadows of evening had gathered around his shop and he dearly wished he could put off the trip to Xavier's one more day. Salem after dark, when the spirits of the unquiet dead were abroad, was not somewhere he wanted to be. Dark knew better than to think that ghosts were harmless, especially when fuelled by the rage of unredressed wrongs.

Taking his cloak from a hook by the door, Janus grabbed his walking stick and a small bundle of rare dried herbs and prepared to open a portal. The herbs he intended to leave as an offering, a tribute of sorts, at the entrance to the Witch Trial Memorial in the Old Burying Point Cemetery; from there, it would be a short walk to Xavier's house which was just outside Old Salem.

Tumbling out of the portal, Janus dusted himself off and took a quick look around. The Memorial was a small plot of trees and grass surrounded on three sides by a low stone wall. Cantilevered out from the wall were rough stone benches, each carved with the name, manner and date of death of a victim of the Salem Witch Trials. The Memorial seemed to be deserted, and the potion maker let out the breath he'd been holding, and tried to get his nerves back under control. It was foolish, after all, to let himself get so rattled over nothing.

Janus bent down to lay his tribute by the entrance, and when he rose again, he saw the ghostly image of a woman, dressed in old fashioned clothing that appeared to be quite ragged and dirty. Her neck was tilted at an odd angle and she was glaring fixedly at the old potion maker. Janus Dark just knew that if he could see the inscription on the bench where she sat, it would read 'Sarah Good Hanged July 19, 1692'...

"You're too late!" She cried; "The wizard's been tried, found guilty and executed!"

"W-wizard? Janus Dark stammered.

"Don't be stupid;" the apparition snarled. "Condemn the innocent, and God will give you blood to drink!"

It was the echo of what she had said to the judges that condemned her to death for witchcraft, all those centuries ago.

**Well, here it is the beginning of the next story. I will try to post every other week as I'm still trying to work out some of the plot lines and characters! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Early morning at the New York Institute found Alec dressed in training clothes and ready to start the day. He slipped into three year old Aiden's room and was busy getting the little boy up for breakfast with daddy. Alec smiled softly at the thought of being a father.

"Where's papa?" Aiden asked referring to Magnus.

"Papa is still sleeping, he was up very late so we'll see him in a little while." Alec responded. Magnus had been up working on a complicated spell for one of his clients. "Aunty Iz will be in the kitchen though so you can show her your new t-shirt."

"Yay!" The toddler squealed in delight and raised his hands indicating he wanted Alec to pick him up.

Alec swung the little boy up onto his hip and headed off down the hall to the kitchen. Parenthood had made massive changes in his and Magnus' life, but they had adapted well and neither could imagine a life that didn't centre around their beautiful little boy.

Entering the kitchen, Alec let the child down so he could run to his Aunt Izzy who was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. As soon as he was about a foot from her chair, he started spinning around, proudly showing her his new Spiderman t-shirt.

"He gets his love of fashion from me!" Izzy said with a grin picking Aiden up and setting him in her lap before all that twirling made him dizzy.

"He may have gotten a little of that from his papa too." Alec said looking mournfully down at his all black training gear. At that moment a very tired looking Jace joined them in the kitchen. Jace and Clary had been married for a couple of years and just welcomed a new baby into their lives. Alec, who vividly remembered being woken every few hours by a hungry baby Aiden, gave his parabatai a sympathetic look and handed him a coffee. "It gets a little better when they start sleeping through the night." He said grinning as Jace lay his head down on the table.

"Yes, but once he starts getting proper rest, we won't be able to dust the training room floor with him anymore;" Isabelle said with a grin.

"Just wait 'til you and Simon have kids;" Jace said raising his head to glare at his sister.

"We only just got engaged, I think I'm safe for a while yet." Izzy responded.

Before more could be said on the matter, Josh, Ian and Shivvy trooped into the kitchen. The two older boys were now considered fully trained adult shadowhunters. Shivvy would share that status in just a few months time when she turned eighteen. Alec was very proud of the three young shadowhunters, they had worked hard during their time at the New York Institute and he could no longer imagine the place without them. They were family.

Shivvy set a bunch of letters and messages down on the table, having obviously stopped to pick up the mail on the way to the kitchen. "Where's Magnus?" She asked looking around. "Most of this stuff is for him. He gets more junk mail than anyone I've ever met;"

Alec laughed; "He is High Warlock of Brooklyn and most of those are requests from clients, not junk mail,"

"Don't know about that;" She replied. "Does he get client calls from Bergdorf Goodman and Sephora?"

"No, more likely he's the client;" Laughed Izzy.

"Here that information package you've been waiting for from Idris, Ian;" Shivvy said as she handed her brother a large, official looking envelope. Josh and Ian were going to the shadowhunter home country to attend a special training course for parabatai. They'd been talking about it nonstop for weeks, much to Shivvy's annoyance.

Alec glanced over at the two young men who were currently looking at the course details and discussing them with Jace. Truthfully, he was a little worried about this trip. He knew that Josh and Ian were exceptionally close, maybe even too close. It was forbidden for parabatai to become romantically involved with each other, and the Clave was not known for turning a blind eye to rule breakers. They had been none too pleased about Alec admitting he was gay and marrying a downworlder, even though there was no specific rule against it. He did not like to think what the Clave would do if they suspected Josh and Ian were in love with each other. His troubled thoughts were interrupted by a sudden wail from Shivvy.

"Nnnnnnoooooo!"

Everyone turned to look at the girl who had an open letter, partly crumpled in her hand. "What's up Shiv?" Ian asked fighting a grin as he saw the melodramatic look of despair on his sister's pretty face.

"It's mom, she wants me to come home while you two are in Idris and she's planning lots of 'social' outings." Shivvy cried. She had been looking forward to her brother's trip as it meant she could spend some quality time with Daniel LaCroix the young vampire who had helped them escape from Lucia. Shivvy and Daniel had become very close in the intervening years, but it had been hard to find any alone time, with two, protective older brothers. When she'd been younger, Shivvy had constantly tried to tag along with Josh and Ian, getting mad if she thought they were trying to ditch her. Now the shoe was on the other foot and the irony wasn't lost on her.

One simple letter from home had derailed all her plans, and her mother directions, that she was to bring all her best things as it was time she started thinking about her future and settling down with a nice boy from a good shadowhunter family, made her cringe. She knew that her mother would never accept her feelings for Daniel, would be horrified and probably prevent her from returning to the New York Institute if she found out.

Ian moved over to Shivvy's side and put his arm around her. "It'll be okay Shiv, and it's not forever. You might even enjoy..."

Seeing Shivvy's shoulders tense and fearing the explosion that would undoubtedly follow Ian's well meaning, but thoughtless comment. Jace stood up and said; "Time for training!" In that commanding tone that brooked no dissention or comment.

Izzy grinned as she whispered in Jace's ear; "Good move bro, that could have been an epic argument!"

Alec kissed his son softly on the cheek as he rose to accompany the others to the training room. Izzy would be minding Aiden until Magnus was up. Just as he was about to leave, he turned to sister and said; "Magnus is expecting a package from Janus Dark sometime this morning. If it arrives while we're training, can you put it in Magnus' work room? I wouldn't want Aiden accidently getting into whatever it is!"

"Sure thing!" Isabelle called back as she scooped her nephew up; "Come on buddy, let's get that face cleaned up, then maybe we can play a game of hide 'n seek in the sanctuary!"

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Magnus tossed and turned restlessly, caught in the throes of a disturbing dream. He was back at the Mortar &amp; Pestle collecting the ingredients for the spell that would make Lucia pregnant. Janus Dark stood there, pointing an accusing finger at Magnus as he said; " I hope you know what you are doing Magnus. I have only seen a list like this once before, centuries ago, and it ended very badly indeed...A child of extraordinary beauty, very powerful, but no empathy, no soul, an abomination ... abomination ... abomination ..."

Magnus woke with a start, his heart racing and his mind revolting against the idea that his beautiful child would ever be like the soulless monster that Janus Dark had spoken of. Aiden was sweet and loving like Alec, lively, spirited and innocent. It was just a stupid dream...

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Janus dark hurried through the Old Burying Point Cemetery, wanting nothing more than to be away from the long shadows of old tragedy that seemed to haunt the place. The warning of Sarah Good still echoed in his ears; 'Condemn the innocent and God will give you blood to drink.' The old warlock shuddered as he passed the ancient tree that spread its gnarled branches like boney fingers trying to grasp at his cloak, and impede his progress out of the cemetery.

Finally he was on Charter Street and ready to put some distance between himself and that cursed place. Never again would he come to Salem to get a rush order of this ingredient for the Curatio, not for the Hellfire club , or anyone else. They would just have to wait until he received a regularly placed order, or go elsewhere. What had he been thinking.

It took ten minutes of brisk walking to get his nerves back in order, and then the old potion maker began to think about the man he had come to see, Xavier Malum. Janus had met Malum centuries ago, when the only cure for demon pox was a potion that would slow down the symptoms. At that time, Dark had already begun to gain a reputation as a first rate potion maker, and he had spent considerable time trying to improve the old cure, to no avail. He loved a challenge, but all his efforts seemed to be nothing but an exercise in frustration. Then one day a good friend of his told him about a reclusive old warlock living near Salem who was reputed to be a genius with potions.

Janus Dark wasted no time in contacting the warlock, sending him a long message outlining his attempts to improve the treatment for demon pox, and begging for a chance to visit Xavier Malum. It had taken three months to get a response from Malum, a response that included a refusal to meet, and a quantity of reddish brown powder with the instructions that it was to replace one of the key ingredients in the standard cure. He was to let Malum know, by fire message, how it worked. Janus did as instructed, and the Curatio Daemonium Insanitas was born.

The efficacy of the new potion was nothing short of miraculous, although it still wasn't a true cure, managing only to suppress the symptoms for as long as one took the potion. But it was so much better than any of its predecessors that Janus' reputation became unassailable, he was the potion maker extraordinaire. Janus Dark snorted, his claim to fame rested on an ingredient that he could not even analyze, let alone make. Lord knew he had spent years trying.

Deep in his own thoughts Janus almost missed the overgrown lane that led to Xavier Malum's house. It was a windy night, and very dark when the moon was shrouded by drifting clouds. The old trees that lined either side of the lane creaked and groaned as they were buffeted by stronger gusts. Standing starkly at the end of the lane was an old weathered wooden house. Whatever paint had adorned the exterior was long since gone, leaving the exposed wood to gray and rot. Many of the windows were boarded up, and those that weren't displayed jagged, broken panes exposing the interior of the house to the elements. Taken all together, anyone seeing the place would certainly be forgiven for thinking it was an abandoned house, and most probably haunted.

Janus made his way up the steps, careful to avoid areas of the porch that looked particularly rotten and unsafe. It was only when he reached the front door and saw it was slightly ajar that the first thrill of fear touched him. Zavier was an eccentric and reclusive warlock, but he was not a fool. The few times Janus had visited him previously, he'd been very aware that the place was strongly warded. Now he felt nothing, and the open door swinging slightly on its hinges was more than enough to tell the potion maker that something was very, very wrong.

Stepping carefully into the dark hallway, Janus snapped his fingers to produce a glowing vermillion flame. It was enough light to show him the cracked and broken plaster walls, and the inches of dust that covered the few remaining sticks of furniture. How could anyone live like this Janus wondered, especially a gifted potion maker like Xavier Malum. Moving deeper into the house he came to the doorway of what at one time, must have been a cozy parlor.

It was a strange, ruin of a room now. The tattered drapes adorning the windows were a nondescript gray, shattered by age, and neglect until they resembled nothing so much as cobwebs. In the corner of the room sat an old upright piano, its once lustrous wood cracked and dusty, the ivory keys yellowed where they weren't missing entirely. The ancient instrument seemed to be leering at him with a hideous gap toothed grin. The old potion maker shook his head slightly trying to clear his mind of such silly fanciful nonsense.

A sudden moan from behind Janus had him whirling around with his heart in his mouth. It was all he could do not to race for the door and put as much distance between himself and this frightful place as possible. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Dark approached the corner of the room where he'd heard the noise; "I-is anyone there?" he stammered; "Xavier?"

The only answer was another low moan. Janus was close enough now however to make out the figure of a man slumped on the floor. Despite the blood that covered part of the man's face, Janus recognized his friend Xavier Malum and hastily knelt down to lend some assistance. Healing wasn't the potion maker's forte, but he could manage in an emergency, which this certainly seemed to be; but just as his magic began to collect and spark at his finger tips, Malum laid a shaking hand on his arm and stopped him.

"Every warlock knows when it's his time, and this is mine;" Xavier's voice was weak and it took an obvious effort for him to speak, yet he somehow managed to sound very calm and certain, there was no fear or doubt.

"Xavier, don't be ridiculous, let me help you!" Janus cried.

"I don't need any help Janus, but you do, so don't waste anymore time, help me sit up a bit and listen to what I say. Your life may depend on it." Xavier said coughing slightly as he tried to regain his breath. Janus reluctantly complied with his friend's wishes.

Once he was settled Xavier took a shaky breath and began to speak; "The men who came here were from the Hellfire Club. They are trying to produce the Curatio themselves, and somehow discovered I provide you with an essential ingredient, one they could not analyze;" Xavier broke off as coughs wracked his weak body, at last however, he was able to compose himself and continue. "I don't suppose that is any surprise to you, as I'm sure you've been trying the same thing for years."

Janus nodded his head, and again tried to offer some healing magic, but the old warlock shook his head.

"They took a supply of the powder I had on hand, believing it would be enough to allow them to determine the secret. Such arrogant fools;" Xavier said. "If a brilliant potion maker like you can't suss out the secret, they will never be able to!" He stopped then to catch his shallow breath, grabbing on to Janus' robe and dragging him closer. "They don't know! They don't know!" He said cackling hoarsely between fits of coughing. "Here! Here!" He said grasping weakly at his pocket and dragging forth a small, leather bound book; "This will tell you everything! It will save you Janus, it will save...!" With one last desperate gasp, the old warlock pushed the volume into Janus hands and collapsed. No amount of healing magic could save him now, all that was left was to arrange his hands, and close his sightless eyes.

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Shivvy McRae boarded a train to make the one hour trip from Edinburgh to her home near East Linton. She had made this same trip countless times in her short life, but never with as much foreboding as she did now. Her mother had arranged for her to spend a couple of days at the Edinburgh Institute on her way home, and those two days had contributed greatly to her current mood.

Shivvy had begun her shadowhunting training with her brother Ian and his parabatai Josh Cameron at the Edinburgh Institute. At that time it was being run by Josh's mother Maeve. The world had seemed an orderly place, filled with training, lessons and routine chores. Then Alec Lightwood had arrived to investigate the murder of a downworlder, and nothing was ever the same again. The New York Shadowhunter had exposed the role of senior members of the Edinburgh Institute in the systematic persecution and hunting of downworlders. A battle ensued which saw the rogue shadowhunters defeated, and restitution made to downworlders who had suffered at their hands.

Maeve Cameron had been killed in the battle, and though she had been unaware of the illegal activities perpetrated on her watch, the family now bore the same disgrace as the Institute she'd managed. Shivvy's mother, once delighted that her some Ian was Josh Cameron's parabatai, now felt the sting of regret and the hearty wish she could do something to separate her son from that unfortunate connection. Shivvy felt regret for a completely different reason. She loved Josh like a brother and knew what an talented and honourable shadowhunter he was. Shivvy's regret stemmed from her knowledge that Josh and Ian were hopelessly in love with each other, and the Clave forbade that kind of relationship between parabatai. It was a secret that Shivvy jealously guarded, knowing that a careless word would be enough to shatter two of the people she loved best in all the world.

The Edinburgh Institute had changed considerably since Shivvy's time there. Gerard McKenzie, head of a prominent shadowhunter family, had replaced Maeve Cameron, and lived there with his only son, Addison who was about Shivvy's age. Gerard's wife, Lucy Addison McKenzie had died several years previously. It had been Gerard McKenzie's job to clean up the Edinburgh Institute and establish a reasonable relationship with the Edinburgh downworld. A tall, well built man in his early forties, McKenzie was dynamic, intelligent and politically savvy. He was also extremely handsome, with white blonde hair, high cheekbones, full lips and a firm chin. The only fault that could be found was a slight arrogance of expression and a certain coldness in his blue-gray eyes.

Addison McKenzie was a whole different subject, slight, dark haired with delicate features, he seemed sullen and withdrawn. Shivvy had tried for awhile to draw him out, but eventually gave it up as a lost cause. She didn't know what ticked her off most during their training session, Addison's continued rejection of her attempts to be friendly, or his holding back during combat exercises because she was a girl, but she finally stormed out of the room, pushing past the training master and not stopping until she found herself in what had at one time been the secret trophy room.

Shivvy didn't realize where she was at first, too frustrated and angry to take in her surroundings. The last time she had been in this room, the walls had been lined with shelves and display cases containing gruesome trophies such as vampire fangs, warlock horns and wolf skins. Each item, represented a downworld life taken for sport and profit, and was flaunted as if it were a priceless treasure. The display cases had long since been removed and the shelves were empty, but a chilly, sinister atmosphere still seemed to cling to the room as though an echo of its dark purpose remained. Shivering slightly the young shadowhunter was about to retreat back the way she'd come when something unexpected caught her eye. In a dark corner of the room, a flash of unexpected colour .

Shivvy bent down and picked up what appeared to be two playing cards. How odd she thought to find something of that sort here. When she turned the cards over, however, she saw that they were actually tarot cards. Her understanding of the tarot was very limited, but she knew the cards had been used by occultists and mystics for centuries as a means of divination. Shivvy wasn't sure she believed in the ability to predict the future based on a deck of playing cards.

The first card she picked up was the Lovers card and depicted a man and woman dressed in Victorian fashion. The Man stood behind the woman with his arms encircling her waist, but what stood out to Shivvy, was the fact that both faces were blank, devoid of features. The young shadowhunter reached down to pick up the second of the two cards, and saw that it was the Devil card. He was also dressed in Victorian clothes, and stood with a howling wolf on his right side, and a chained woman on his left. As with the first card, both the Devil and the woman's faces were blank.

Shivvy continued to stare at the cards in her hand, and slowly but surely the blank faces began to blur slightly and shift forming distinct features. The girl gave a startled gasp as the Lovers faces took the shape of herself and Daniel, and a horrified cry as the Devil's face solidified into a likeness of Gerard McKenzie, the chained woman on his left, another depiction of herself. Dropping the cards, as it they burned her hand, Shivvy ran from the room. She did not see where she was going, she just knew she needed to get away from that haunted room, from things she could not understand, or explain.

Glancing behind her as she ran down the hallway, she didn't see the tall, well built man in front of her until she ran right into him. "Huh;" Shivvy gasped as she stumbled backward, only avoiding the embarrassment of a complete collapse because of the strong arms that grabbed her shoulders.

"Noo jist haud on!"[1] Aidan Briosag's dancing, gray-green eyes looked into Shivvy's as he held her at arm's length. If the warlock noticed the remnants of distress on her face, he made no comment, saying only; "You've grown into a bonny lass Shivvy McRae!"

"Aidan, I can't believe it!" Shivvy cried, forgetting her recent fear in the pleasure of meeting an old friend. Before she could say more, however, the cold, stern voice of Gerard McKenzie interrupted her.

"Shivaun! You should be in the training room, High Warlock Briosag and I have business to discuss!"

Aidan winked at Shivvy and whispered in her ear; " Meet me at six in front of the Institute and we'll go for dinner." She nodded her head in response and saw the warlock smile as he turned back toward his host.

"High Warlock Briosag, this way if you please;" McKenzie said brusquely and Shivvy thought she caught a flash of anger on the shadowhunter's face as he led his guest into a vacant conference room. Though things had improved greatly between the Edinburgh downworld and the shadowhunters, in the intervening years since Alec's visit, Shivvy doubted there would ever be true understanding and trust between them. Years of abuse could not be erased that easily.

The feeling of the train beginning to slow brought Shivvy back to a sense of her present surroundings. In a few more minutes she would be at the station and then just a short car ride from home. She had not been able to shake the uneasy feeling that had taken root during her stay in Edinburgh, in fact it had only seemed to increase the closer she got to McCrae Manor.

* * *

[1] Noo jist haud on! Now just hold on, slow down, take your time in Gaelic.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the best!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

With trembling hands Janus Dark took the book from his dead friend. He felt some sadness for the loss of Xavier Malum, but most of all he felt fear, and more than that, a heartfelt wish he had never gotten involved with the Curatio Daemonium Insanitas or the Hellfire Club. Whatever it was Xavier had left him in this book, he prayed it would be enough to prevent the Abbot and his brutes from attacking him as they had Xavier. Without further delay, Janus got to his feet and opened a portal to his potion shop in New York. The wards that would have prevented him from doing so, had collapsed with Xavier's death. He didn't think he could have faced another trip to the Witch Trial Memorial. This whole evening had been a disaster of the worst magnitude as far as Dark was concerned.

Arriving back in his shop, Janus Dark closed the blinds and doubled his wards before sitting down in an armchair by the fire with a snifter of brandy. The potion makers hands trembled slightly as he opened the small, leather bound volume Xavier Malum had given him, only to gasp in surprise when he saw that the pages were blank. Was this some kind of joke? What kind of person plays a joke on their deathbed Dark thought aggravated at such an unsatisfying end to a very trying night.

Just as he was about to throw the book down on the table and head off to bed, words in a unique, spidery hand began to form on the page as though some phantom pen were being scraped over the parchment. Fascinated, Janus Dark watched as page after page began to fill with words. When the writing ceased, the pages of the book flipped back to the start, and the potion maker began to read...

_My Dear Janus,_

_If you are reading this, then I am dead and it is time you learned the true nature of the ingredient I provide you for the Curatio. I'm sure you must have suspected it is my blood, dried to powder, that I've been sending you, which means the Curatio is in essence a blood magic potion. I always believed it would require something of that sort to control a demonic sickness, but I digress. There is nothing else in the ingredient, but that does not mean the blood of any warlock will do, in order for you to understand this, I will have to start at the beginning, and I apologize, in advance, for the length of time it takes..._

_I was born Timothy Xavier Whitelaw, the only son of a shadowhunter, Alexandra Whitelaw, and father unknown; but of course, that was just what the official records said. The truth was much stranger, my 'unknown' father was the warlock, Chance Malum. Oh, I know what you will say, warlocks are sterile and can't father children; but is that strictly true? I have found over the many years of my long life that what nature can't accomplish, magic often can._

_My parents relationship was unusual to say the least, especially given the times they lived in. Shadowhunters were suspicious of warlocks and often viewed them with hatred and distrust, even when they needed something from them. But, the heart wants what the heart wants, and these two from very different worlds fell in love and were secretly married. They knew they were playing a dangerous game, the Clave would certainly have stripped Alexandra of her marks, and probably killed Chance if they found out. _

_As time went on and their relationship remained secret, the two lovers yearned for a child, and Chance began searching for a way to make it happen. He found the answer he was looking for in a very old, very rare spell book. It took time to translate the old text and collect the necessary ingredients for the spell, but at last their plans were in place and Chance performed the magic._

_It was an enormous risk, of course. It would be more difficult than ever to keep their secret. Alexandra did her best to conceal the pregnancy, wearing loose fitting clothing and attending as few Clave functions as she could. As with many risky plans, however, it only took one unexpected event to expose their secret. Near the end of her term, a slip on the stairs sent Alexandra into premature labour. The shocked Whitelaw family sent immediately for a midwife who delivered the girl of a healthy baby boy, with light mauve scales on the back of his neck and around his wrists and ankles. _

_Walter Whitelaw, Alexandra's father was horrified and demanded to know what his daughter had done. She refused to say a word and Walter sent for the Inquisitor. The baby was given to the midwife who was told to dispose of it. Alexandra was taken to the guard and interrogated by the Inquisitor for days until she finally broke and told him everything. _

_The Clave sent several shadowhunters to kill Chance Malum, and confiscate the spell book he used to create the pregnancy. The idea that a warlock could use magic to procreate terrified them. With Malum dead, and the spell book safely stored in the Silent Brother's monastery, the Inquisitor arranged to have Alexandra stripped of her marks. Exhausted by her interrogation and grieving the loss of her baby and death of her husband, Alexandra did not survive the ordeal._

_Despite the best efforts of the Clave to hush the story up, rumours circulated about a spell that would allow a warlock to have a child. In order to try and dissuade any downworlders from attempting to find the spell, the Clave spun the story that a baby born in such a manner would be a soulless abomination, a monster, and perhaps they truly believed it._

_The Clave thought that the midwife who had been instructed to dispose of the child had drowned me, and so in a final desperate act to bury the truth, they had her killed. What they did not realize, of course, was that she had sold me to a warlock couple who wanted a child. I don't believe she lived long enough to enjoy the money she'd been given for her part in this sordid story. _

_I grew up, became an apprentice and was finally able to earn a good living as a potion maker, all the while knowing nothing of my own true history. I might still be living in blissful ignorance if I hadn't, like you my dear Janus, developed an interest in finding a cure for demon pox. I read everything I could find on the disease, its symptoms and the earlier cures that had been attempted. I quickly concluded that the approach most likely to be effective would be a blood magic potion and set about to test this theory. _

_By this time I was doing well enough to have several apprentices who were just as interested as I in the experiment, and were willing to let me use small samples of their blood in my experiments. Nothing I made however was any more effective than the best of the old cures, slowing the onset of the symptoms but not truly controlling them or curing the disease. Late one evening, I was becoming very discouraged and thought I would give up the search for a cure if my next attempt should no greater promise that its predecessors. I went to the cupboard to get some dried blood only to discover that my stock had all been used up. Rather than wait until morning when my apprentices returned, I took a small sample of my own blood._

_The results were better than I'd dared to hope and I was ecstatic. It didn't take long, however, for my enthusiasm to turn to frustration as I tried to recreate the potion over the next several days using blood drawn from my apprentices. It seemed I could not duplicate the efficacy of my original, late night potion. I was beyond aggravated, and ready to turn my back on the whole endeavour, when it occurred to me that the only variable had been the blood I used, though why that should matter escaped me. _

_When I used my own blood, the potion was just as effective as I could wish, but that left me with a mystery I wanted to get to the bottom of. What was it about my blood that made it more potent than the apprentices? I began to analyze my blood and research my own past. It took years, but at last I knew the truth, I was the product, through magic,of a marked shadowhunter and a warlock. I was the original, the abomination that the Clave warned of. There weren't any others like me, and with my death the Curatio Daemonium Insanitas can no longer be made. I have sent a message to the Abbot of the Hellfire Club explaining this, so you should be safe from them my old friend..._

Janus Dark dropped the book as he started up from the chair, because Xavier Malum had been wrong! He wasn't the only magically born child of a marked shadowhunter and a warlock. Another had been so born to the High Warlock of Brooklyn and his shadowhunter husband. Never had he thought, when Magnus came to his shop three years ago, that he would become privy to such a potentially explosive secret. If the Hellfire Club found out about the child, he didn't like to think what might happen. He must warn ...

**Thanks to everyone how reviewed!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Magnus woke unexpectedly early that morning, and looking back on it later, he couldn't say just why he felt so unsettled. The warlock could remember no bad dream, no unresolved issue with Alec, or a client to account for it, but after several minutes of trying to calm himself by watching his lover sleep peacefully beside him, he gave up, and decided to put some coffee on. If he couldn't take advantage of a quiet, restful morning himself, he would make sure that Alec had some extra sleep and a fresh coffee to wake up to.

The kitchen was still dark and quiet when Magnus entered. He snapped his fingers to turn the lights on and start a cheerful fire blazing on the hearth. Chairman Meow circled his legs, brushing up against the warlock and purring loudly.

Magnus laughed. "I know what you want!" He declared taking the cat food and a bowl from the cupboard. It only took a few minutes for Magnus to address the cat's basic needs. He never used magic for this, unless it was an emergency, Chairman Meow was skittish about magic, and Magnus respected his prejudices.

Once the cat was dealt with, Magnus set about making coffee, again he did not use magic, knowing that at any minute the housekeeper could come bustling in, and she was nonplussed by displays of that sort. Once the coffee was ready he prepared two cups, one for himself with all the fixings and a black with sugar for Alec. Smiling to himself as he walked back to their private quarters, Magnus thought about his strong, quiet husband and wondered, not for the first time, how he'd gotten so lucky. Magnus had been in love before, but with Alec it was all different and new somehow. He felt secure in this relationship, and that was a blessing he would never take for granted.

Entering the bedroom, Magnus placed both cups on the bedside table before bending down to kiss Alec gently on the lips. "Wake up sleepy head;" He said gently as Alec's beautiful blue eyes fluttered open.

Alec slowly pushed himself up so he could drink the coffee Magnus had brought. "I could get used to you spoiling me like this;" Alec said as he took his first sip of the hot beverage. "What are your plans for the day?"

"I don't have any clients until this afternoon; "Magnus replied with a soft smile; "So I promised to make magic potions with Aiden in the work room."

"Magic potions!" Alec said with a look of mild concern.

"Nothing more dangerous than a raspberry smoothie, I promise;" Magnus chuckled seeing his husband's face relax into a soft smile. "You'd better get moving before Jace starts pounding on the door because you're late for training."

Alec pulled Magnus into his arms and kissed him soundly. "Jace can wait, this can't;" He replied capturing Magnus lips again in an even more passionate kiss.

It was Aiden calling for them that finally broke the two apart, and Magnus went to get his son ready for the day, as Alec headed off to have a shower.

Several hours, and one training session later, Alec went to his office, there was paperwork to be done. Although he tried to stay on top of it, the administrative work of running the Institute had a nasty habit of piling up. The phone on his desk began to ring just as Alec entered the room, and he knew, even before answering, that it would be Jia Penhallow. The Consul seemed as familiar with his schedule as Alec was himself, he thought ruefully as he picked up the call.

"Alec, glad I caught you;" Jia said briskly. "There are some issues I think we should discuss in person, could you come to Idris this afternoon?"

"Ahh... y-yes that shouldn't be a problem. I'll ask Magnus to open a portal and be there in a couple of hours, if that would suit;" Alec responded a look of concern flashing across his face.

"That's fine, I'll talk to you then;" Jia said ringing off before Alec had a chance to ask her anything at all about the subject of their meeting.

Alec heaved a sigh and prayed that it was nothing to do with Aiden. Magnus and he had done everything they could to hide the true origins of their precious child, telling the Clave that the boy was an orphaned warlock child they'd adopted. There was only one other record of a child being born of a warlock and marked shadowhunter and it was a cautionary tale. The warlock had been hunted down and killed, the shadowhunter stripped of her marks, and worst of all, the baby was said to be an abomination.

Alec knew that his sweet Aiden was not an abomination, but the last thing he wanted to do was trust that the Clave had progressed beyond such narrow minded, bigoted behaviour. All he could do for now, was pray that his secret was still safe, and that Jia wanted to speak with him about something else entirely, but what? That question brought his mind back to Josh and Ian. Alec had suspected for some time that the two had romantic feelings for each other, but had chosen not to confront them, perhaps because there had been a time, before Magnus, when he'd believed he was in love with Jace.

The Clave's rules were strict regarding parabatai forming romantic attachments with each other. He knew Josh and Ian were aware of that, and hoped they'd been discreet while in Idris for their training. The boys were family and he did not want that kind of grief for them. Alec shook his head slightly, trying to clear away all these concerns, there was, after all, no point in borrowing trouble, until he knew what it was Jia wanted to discuss. With a last look at the paperwork on his desk, Alec left the office in search of Magnus.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Ian McRae stood off to the side of the training room with his parabatai, Josh Cameron. They had been in Idris for a week now, and he was counting the hours until they could head back home. He wondered idly when he had first started to think of the New York Institute as home? Ian and Josh had looked forward to this training course with great excitement, and now it couldn't end too soon for his liking.

Just then, the Instructor, Isaiah Blackwell, entered the room and cast a critical eye over all the trainees, especially Josh, who he seemed to take great pleasure in disparaging. It made Ian's blood boil, and several times over the last few days, Josh had had to stop Ian from losing his cool. On one memorable occasion, Blackwell's caustic comments pushed Josh into a reckless, unnecessarily risky manoeuvre. It had taken all Ian's strength to prevent a nasty accident, and he'd turned on Blackwell, face dark with fury. Several of the other trainees restrained Ian, but whatever Blackwell had seen in the boy's eyes, he had refrained from bating Josh any further that day.

They were barely into their first exercise when the harassment began. Nothing Josh did was good enough, and though most in the room couldn't see any flaws in his technique, they were heartily glad not to be the focus of the Instructor's ire themselves. Josh maintained his quiet, stoic demeanor but Ian could tell that the constant criticism was beginning to get to him.

Ian and Josh were about to begin the latest paired manoeuvre when Jia Penhallow entered the room and called Blackwell to her. A few moments of whispered conversation followed after which Blackwell dismissed the trainees for the day, and followed the Consul out of the room.

Grinning from ear-to-ear, Ian clapped Josh on the back; "Don't have to tell me twice to get out of here, come on lets go to one of the cafe's on Angel Square!" Josh nodded, a small smile playing on his lips, although Ian noticed sadly it did not reach his eyes.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Magnus allowed the housekeeper to scoop Aiden up and take him to the dining room for lunch before he looked at the newly arrived fire message. Alec had left for Idris and Magnus knew he'd been on edge about whatever it was Jia wanted. The warlock hadn't expressed his own unease though, knowing it wouldn't help calm Alec's nerves. A look of surprise crossed Magnus face as he saw the note in his hand came from the potion maker Janus Dark, and it sounded urgent. What could Dark possibly need to see him for that was so important, a bad shipment of hemlock?

Heaving a sigh, Magnus went to the dining room to make sure the housekeeper would mind Aiden until he returned, or Izzy got back from patrol. He had promised to take the boy to the park after lunch, and he hated to disappoint his son. After a brief conversation it was agreed that if Magnus was not back by 2:00 pm, the housekeeper would take Aiden to the park, and Magnus would join them there as soon as he was free.

Heavily glamoured Magnus reached the blind alley that led to the Mortar &amp; Pestle Potion Dispensary, and still, he could not shake the feeling of being watched. A sudden chill ran though his body as he sensed the ruins of Janus' wards. Whoever had been here before Magnus, they didn't wait for an invitation.

Cautiously approaching the heavy wooden door of the shop, Magnus stopped, and listened for sounds of conflict or struggle. The silence was overwhelming. What was he walking into? Had Janus been hurt? Magnus allowed his prodigious magical power to crackle around him, he was a father, and a husband, he would not take foolish risks.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door of the shop, Magnus saw the remains of a portal, the unmistakable, swirling magic just beginning to dissipate. Looking around him quickly, the High Warlock took in the signs of violence in the broken crockery on the floor, the papers and books scattered about, and most alarmingly of all, the bloody body of Janus Dark slumped in the far corner of the room. Who ever had been here meant business, and although he and Janus Dark had never been close, Nobody did violence like this on the High Warlock of Brooklyn's patch, unless they answered to Magnus for their crimes.

Moving quickly to Janus' side, Magnus checked his vital signs, relieved to find the potion maker still on the living side of the equation. What on earth had Janus got himself into, Magnus wondered as his magic shot out, and he began to heal the wounds on Dark's body. The shop looked to have been thoroughly ransacked, broken glass and dead birds littered the old oak floor. It wasn't like Janus Dark to involve himself in anything illicit, or dangerous, none of this made sense to Magnus.

It took about an hour before the potion maker had received enough healing magic to begin coming round. Magnus carefully helped him into a sitting position and handed him a glass of brandy from the bottle he'd found behind the shop counter. Luckily it had survived the general destruction. Janus' hands shook as he took the glass, drinking deeply before giving it back to Magnus.

Placing a hand on the man's shoulder, Magnus asked; "What the hell happened here Janus?"

"M-Magnus, H-high Warlock... oh God!" Dark spluttered, trying unsuccessfully to make sense of the fact that the man he had just betrayed, was trying to help him.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Alec stepped out of the portal landing gracefully, on his feet. Years of practice had, at last, taught him not to stumble, but he still found the experience disorienting and unpleasant. Standing near the portal waiting for him was Jia Penhallow's aid, Roderick Starkweather.

"Welcome, Alexander Lightwood;" Starkweather said rather stiffly. "The Consul asked me to escort you to her office as soon as you arrived."

Alec nodded, too lost in his own concerns to engage the man in further conversation. He wished he knew what it was the Consul wanted to speak with him about, but he had no intention of asking his guide for information, and so he followed him silently through the old stone corridors until they came to an elaborately carved wooden door.

Wrapping lightly, Starkweather waited patiently until he heard 'Enter' before ushering Alec into the Consul's office. Jia Penhallow rose from her desk, and came around to greet Alec with a warm hug. It was well known in Alicante, that the Lightwoods and Penhallows were old friends. A slight frown crossed Starkweather's face as he watched the proceedings, the Abbot would not be pleased, if this meeting continued in such a cordial manner.

Just then, Jia caught sight of her aid, and letting go of Alec, said; "That will be all Roderick, I'll call you if I need anything else." Her voice was cold and authoritative stopping the younger man dead in his tracks, just as he was about to opened his mouth in protest. Turning abruptly, Startweather stalked out of the room, although his courage did not extend to slamming the door behind him. He had so counted on bearing witness to this meeting, hoping to watch the Consul put Lightwood in his place, a fag had no business being head of the New York Institute. He would go and talk to Isaiah, Blackwell would know what to do.

Jia indicated that Alec should take a seat in one of the comfortable arm chairs situated around the fireplace at the opposite end of the office. It was a less formal area, designed for quiet conversation, and Alec appreciated Jia's efforts to put him at ease.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here Alec, and before we get into it, I'd just like to say that I don't believe there is anything wrong, but I would be remiss if I didn't at least look into it." Jia began. Looking increasingly uncomfortable, she continued; "Do you know of any inappropriate relationship existing between Josh Cameron and Ian McCrae?"

"No." Alec said sharply. "What is this all about?

"As I said, I don't think it is anything to worry about, but trainer Blackwell said he felt there might be a romantic relationship between the two, and you know that is strictly forbidden." Jia said, sounding almost apologetic.

"Blackwell 'feels' there is something wrong!" Alec said sarcastically; "Tell me would this even have come up, if I wasn't the openly gay head of the New York Institute? If Blackwell has proof, let him present it, otherwise he's just blowing smoke."

Jia had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed by the situation. "I'm sorry Alec, I know it isn't fair, but it will take time for old prejudices to be replaced by more inclusive, tolerant attitudes. I don't believe that Trainer Blackwell has any actual proof of wrong doing, and as long as that is true, I will not allow him to force a trial by Mortal Sword."

Alec was momentarily stunned. The Mortal Sword was used to compel shadowhunters to tell the truth. If there was a romantic relationship between Ian and Josh, it would be exposed and the consequences... he didn't want to think about that for either of them.

Despite the turmoil going on in Alec's heart and mind, his face remained stoic. The days when he wore his heart on his sleeve, and every deeply held thought or feeling could be read in his expressive, intense blue eyes were over. He still felt things as keenly as ever, but he had learned to discipline his features, save his emotions for those he truly loved and trusted.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I am posting this story every two weeks, life is crazy busy right now and its difficult to find time to write.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Shivvy walked quickly away from the old stone farm house, it was early evening and the cool breeze felt good on her flushed face. She didn't know how much more of her mother's constant barrage of 'you must show yourself off to the best advantage', 'you're a very pretty girl when you don't slouch', or, her personal favourite, 'it's so important for our family that you marry well'. Today had been much the same as every other day since her return home, a tedious round of social engagements designed to let the shadowhunter community know that Shivaun McCrae was now on the marriage market. How humiliating!

At the end of the driveway, Shivvy turned away from the picturesque village of East Linton and headed toward the open countryside. The last thing she needed was people staring at her, whispering about her 'American' ways and accent. Her mother had been against her going to the New York Institute, but Shivvy's father had been adamant. Albert McCrae wanted both his children trained to be the best shadowhunters they could be, and he also knew his son Ian would pay an unfair price for being Josh Cameron's parabatai, if he remained in Edinburgh. It was that argument which finally won Shivvy's mother over, and resulted in what the girl felt were the best years of her young life. If she hadn't become part of the New York Institute, she would never have met Daniel!

Shivvy followed the country lane until she came to a path that wound its way through a pretty wooded area. As she walked, her thoughts turned to Daniel LaCroix, the young vampire who'd help them defeat Magnus's evil half sister, Lucia, three years ago. His handsome, sensitive face came swirling into her mind and she smiled, a genuine expression that reached her eyes and made them sparkle. If her father had been there, he would have known, without a word, what Daniel meant to her... but her father had died, suddenly, unexpectedly, while he was out hunting demons. Ave atque vale, hail and farewell Albert McRae, and Shivvy's life had changed forever. She lost her staunchest supporter, the one person, other than Ian, she felt saw her as she truly was, at least until she'd met Daniel.

Now, surrounded by the trappings of her early childhood, and at her wits end with her mother's less than subtle attempts to marry her off to an 'appropriate' shadowhunter, she longed to be back in New York, and was more afraid than ever she would be prevented from going.

Shivvy's mother, Corrinne McCrae had informed her that evening they were expected at Eilean Donan, the ancestral home of the McKenzie's for the weekend. Oh joy, a whole weekend with the sullen, Addison and his slimy farther Gerard. She'd not forgotten the angry, possessive glance he'd given her when she returned from dinner with the High Warlock of Edinburgh, Aidan Briosag. That dinner had been the highlight of her trip to Edinburgh, those few hours at the Caldron Pub, though she had quickly learned not to speak of it at home. Her mother considered any time spent with the notorious High Warlock a very questionable lapse in judgement on her daughter's part.

As night began to fall, and the air became cooler, a shimmering mist rose from the ground, creeping and swirling around Shivvy's feet. The path in front of her was shrouded in fog, and she was about to retrace her steps when she noticed an old, abandoned graveyard to her left. She assumed that there must have been a church nearby at some point, but it was long since gone, not even ruins left to mark its passing.

Shivvy turned toward the graveyard, she had always been intrigued by the brief stories old stones had to tell of lives long since past. They drew her in, mesmerized by their poignancy.

Out of the corner of her eye, in the darkest shadows of the cemetery, Shivvy saw a solitary figure. Her family had always believed in the 'second sight'; those who could see more than the here and now. The past, ghosts, and even the future were open to them, though she had never considered herself to be among the? Blessed, cursed, who knew?

Suddenly, the figure rose from the grave stone and began to move towards her. She pulled a seraph blade from the scabbard on her back. Jace, Alec, Clary and the rest had taught her never to be unprepared, and whispered 'Gabriel'. The sword blazed into life, its light exposing the area around her and dispelling both the shadows and the mist.

"Shivvy;" said a soft, familiar voice.

"Daniel, what are you doing here?" The girl said, dousing the blade and throwing her arms around the tall, pale boy who stood before her.

A small, gentle smile flitted across Daniel's lips as he pulled Shivvy tighter into his arms. "I missed you;" He whispered softly; "Magnus opened a portal for me, saying something about being sick and tired of seeing me moping around the Institute. I've been in the neighbourhood awhile hoping to run into you;" Daniel had no illusions about the welcome he'd receive if he had the nerve to knock on Shivvy's mother's door.

"I've missed you too;" Shivvy giggled. "If I have to hear one more word from my mother about making a good impression on the 'eligible' shadowhunters around here, I'll scream."

Daniel frowned, he didn't like to think about Shivvy being introduced to other boys, boys that would be a lot less complicated for her to date than he was. Seeing the look on his face, Shivvy pulled him down and kissed him, soft and sweet. "No one compares to you Daniel, they never could."

Daniel and Shivvy sat on an old stone bench near one of the more elaborate monuments, sheltered by the great trees that surrounded the lonely churchyard. They talked, laughed, hugged and kissed each other, just reveling in the chance to be together. Neither of them were naive enough to believe that the future for them, as a couple, would be smooth sailing. Shivvy was a shadowhunter with family traditions of strength, honour and service. She accepted that her vocation was to protect mundanes, battle demons and perhaps die young.

Daniel was a mundane who had been kidnapped, turned against his will into a vampire, and left to find his own meaning, truth and agency in an undead life that flew in the face of every belief his family had taught him; and yet, the two of them had been drawn together and found in each other all that truly mattered. Where Shivvy went, he would follow, what fate held in store for them, they would share.

Shivvy told him of her mother's plan to go to the McKenzie ancestral home, Eilean Donan for the weekend. Daniel promised he would follow her, bide his time in the countryside and hope to meet her as often as possible. It was the best they could do.

"I wish we were back in New York;" Shivvy said snuggling into Daniel's side. "I used to hate Ian's over protective attitude, but I'd deal with that any day over this."

"Your brother loves you, and his concern does him credit." Daniel whispered softly in her ear. "I am so grateful you have someone that looks out for you. It's getting late, I will walk you back to your home."

"I wish we had more time." Shivvy said with a sigh. "But if I don't get back soon, mother will send someone to look for me, and I wouldn't want to cause you that kind of trouble. I'm so glad you're here."

The young lovers talked quietly, sharing their feelings and enjoying being together again. Daniel had his arm around Shivvy's shoulders, and time seemed to melt away. "I should walk you back before they send out a search party';" He whispered softly.

Reluctantly, the girl nodded as a slight shiver running down her spine. For the last few moments, Shivvy had had the strongest sense of being watched by hostile eyes.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Magnus with his heart racing, opened a portal to the park. It was all he could do not to destroy Janus Dark for betraying his son. Deep in his innermost soul, he knew it wasn't the potion maker's fault, not everyone was cut out to be a hero; but Aiden was innocent, helpless against the evil of this world, dependant on Alec and himself for protection, and the thought that he was now the target of powerful, desperate men terrified Magnus.

Arriving at the park, Magnus headed for the playground at a run only to stop short when he saw the last, faint glimmer of portal magic disappearing and the mutilated body of the woman who had served the New York Institute for several years, and had come to be regarded as family. A scream of rage and fear tore from Magnus throat as he realized he was too late to stop his precious son from being taken, or help the woman in front of him. With enormous effort he collected himself, and sent a fire message to Izzy at the Institute. He could not afford the luxury of giving into his emotions now. Aiden needed to be found, and it almost overwhelmed him again when he thought about how frightened the little boy would be.

Magnus took a deep steadying breath and focused on summoning the spirit of the newly dead housekeeper. He had no doubt that she would move on quickly, unlike old Molly, the ghost he had sent Will Herondale to see in the Cross Bones Graveyard near London Bridge over a century ago. Magnus hated the idea of summoning the housekeeper only to force her to relive the traumatic manner of her death, but he desperately needed any information she could give him about who had taken Aiden.

The warlock uttered a brief incantation and waited anxiously as a thin, wisp of mist began to swirl and collect into the rough shape of a woman. The most distinct feature was the face which wore such a terrified expression that it tore at Magnus' heart. If only he'd been able to save her, and Aiden.

"M-master Magnus, is that y-you?" the spirit asked in a quavering voice.

"Yes dear;" Magnus replied softly not wanting to do anything to startle her further. He needed to prompt her to talk about what happened. "I'm so sorry;" He began...

"Don't..." She interrupted him. "They came up behind us and grabbed Aiden before I could stop them. There were three men. I didn't recognize any of them, but one was a warlock. He started to open a portal, and his magic was a dark orange colour. The one, who was holding me, prevented me from screaming. I didn't see his face, but I know he was a shadowhunter, I could see the runes on his arms."

If Magnus was surprised by what the housekeeper told him, he didn't let it show; "And the third man? The one that had Aiden?" Magnus prompted.

The ghost seemed to shudder at that memory and begin to lose the already tentative grasp she had on her spectral form. Magnus held his breath praying he would get some information before she disappeared entirely.

The voice that answered him was barely above a whisper; "He was very tall, his eyes where consumed by fire and..." The ghost seemed to falter at this point, as if the memory of what she'd seen overwhelmed her. At last, however she continued; " There were thin, dark legs sprouting from his head, spider's legs, each ending in a sharp, black claw." As the ghost recounted this vision of hell, she became fainter, and fainter until at last no trace was left.

Belial, Magnus thought, a greater demon. Someone had sent a greater demon after his three year old son, and at least one shadowhunter was involved! An enormous flash of blue light erupted from Magnus' finger tips. A scream of rage tore from his throat as he let the full implications of what he'd learned sink in.

"Magnus!" Izzy yelled hesitating to get too close to the enraged warlock until she was sure he recognized her as a friend. "What the hell is going on?" Then she saw the body of the dead housekeeper and her eyes widened in shock. "Magnus where's Aiden?"

Managing to get himself back under control, Magnus filled Isabelle in on what he knew. "We have to get back to the Institute so I can track my son. If any harm has come to him, someone is going to pay very dearly indeed."

Izzy privately thought she might have preferred Magnus' wild rage to the deadly calm that replaced it, and she shuddered. She arranged to have the body of the housekeeper collected, then hurried back to the Institute with her grim brother-in-law. Jace met them in Alec's office, concern written clearly on his handsome face.

In as few words as possible, Magnus told the two shadowhunters about the attack on Janus Dark and his belief that the Hellfire club was behind the kidnapping.

"The Hellfire Club actually exists?" Jace said; "I thought it was just an old legend."

"Oh it exists alright;" Magnus replied grimly. "And as long as there are shadowhunters, downworlders and even mundanes with depraved tastes, and a desire for power, it will continue to exist."

"And you believe Aiden was taken because his blood can be used in the cure for demon pox, curatio demoni...whatever it's called?" Izzy asked. The thought of it appalled her, but at least if it was true, the kidnappers would have a vested interest in keeping the child alive.

A curt nod was Magnus' only response to Isabelle's question, and with very little more said by any of the others, they soon went their separate ways to prepare for whatever came next. Magnus withdrew to begin his tracking spell, Izzy to arrange for their inevitable absence from the Institute, and Jace had the unenviable task of sending the fire message that would recall Alec home. How do you tell your brother that his only son has been kidnapped, and that there is reason to believe that at least one shadowhunter was involved?

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Alec caught up with Josh and Ian at a small cafe off Angel Square. The white stone façade of the building was partially obscured and softened by old vines whose gnarled branches seemed to grow right out of the wall. Cheerful planter boxes decorated each window and elaborate black wrought iron tables and chairs sat on the sidewalk out front.

Alec's mind was not on his pleasant surroundings however, he was worried about what might happen to Josh and Ian if Isaiah Blackwell found proof of a romantic relationship between the two boys. Alec knew he had to caution them, and make sure they understood what could happen if the Clave found out they were secretly involved.

It was Ian that first looked up and saw Alec, the smile that lit up his honest face broke Alec's heart a little bit, and he wished, more than anything, that he could take these two boys back to new York and protect them from the harsher realities of the Clave's intolerance.

"Alec! What are you doing here?" Ian asked.

"Checking up on us!" Josh replied with a smirk. "He knows better than to think we've been model prisoners."

"Has it been that bad?" Alec asked before he could stop himself. He still vividly remembered his and Jace's training with Blackwell. Jace, of course, impressed the irascible instructor with his extraordinary abilities, so Blackwell had focused on Alec who he believed was not good enough to be Jace's parabatai. It had been a painful and difficult experience for Alec, who had also been struggling with the fact that he was gay, and believed he was in love with Jace.

Just as Alec settled himself at the table, preparing to warn the two young shadowhunters about the danger that Isaiah Blackwell represented, a fire message arrived that stole the very breath from his lungs.

"Alec, what's wrong!?" Josh cried.

"It's Aiden, h-he's been kidnapped..." Alec gasped, trying desperately to wrap his mind around the horrifying message that Jace had sent. "I-I have to go back!"

"We are coming too!" Ian and Josh said in one voice.

Alec gave a curt nod, he could not imagine facing this crisis without those, who had become like family, by his side.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Three days had passed since Shivvy met Daniel in the abandoned churchyard near her home in East Linton. Now, she paced restlessly up and down the guest room she'd been assigned at Eilean Donan, the ancestral home of the McKenzies. Her days had been filled from dawn to dark with meaningless social activities, leaving her no time to slip away and meet Daniel, who she knew had followed her here. Even sending fire messages was risky under Gerard McKenzie's watchful eyes.

Thoughts of McKenzie sent a chill down Shivvy's spine. Greater acquaintance with the Head of the Edinburgh Institute had done nothing to change the girl's opinion of him. He was just like his home, dark, brooding and cold. The ancient castle sat on a craggy tidal island, attached to the mainland by a heavy stone bridge. The feeling of being cut off, isolated from everyone she held dear lay heavy on Shivvy's heart, and made her count the minutes until she could leave this awful place.

Shivvy looked around the guest room she'd been assigned. The walls were covered in heavy oak panelling, the furniture large, dark and formal. The cold stone floor was covered in a threadbare oriental carpet that might have at one time been vibrant shades of red and gold, but was now a faded remnant of its former glory. Heavy, old fashioned drapes covered the small windows and surrounded the uncomfortable four poster bed. Taken all together the effect was gloomy and unwelcoming.

The young girl lay down on top of the bed, hesitant to pull back the covers, even though the room was rather cold. Tired as she was, and wearied more in spirit than anything else, Shivvy doubted she would be able to get much sleep. The creaks and groans that an old, strange place always seems to make, enough to keep her on edge. Somewhere in the ancient castle, Shivvy heard a clock strike three, and remembered someone describing that hour as the midnight of the soul when, ' you're the nearest to dead you'll ever be save dying.' [1]

Just as she began to drift off, the distant sound of a child's cry, frightened and somehow familiar, jarred her awake... Aiden? It couldn't be, surely he was safe at home with Magnus and Alec, wasn't he?

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Daniel LaCroix stood in a dark corner of the room watching impatiently as the setting sun dipped below the surrounding hills. It had been days since he had last seen or heard from Shivvy McRae, and all the rumours and tidbits of information he'd gleaned about Eilean Donan and its stern master served only to heighten his concern. The intervening years since Daniel first met Shivvy at the Chateau Trecesson had seen great changes in the young vampire. Where a sensitive, traumatized boy had been, a strong, handsome young man stood, confident in his abilities and with a true sense of purpose.

Accepting what had happened to him in France, being turned against his will into a vampire, had been difficult, but with the help of the New York shadowhunters, particularly Simon, he'd adjusted. He'd even begun to make inroads into the downworld community forging alliances, and developing some friendships along the way. Those relationships stood him in good stead, particularly now, as he tried to find out as much as he could about the Head of the Edinburgh Institute.

Daniel was staying at an abandoned manor house in the vicinity of Eilean Donan. The manor was owned by the local vampire clan, and looked, to any passing mundane, like a derelict shell with crumbling stone walls and gaping holes in the roof. The reality was really quite different. The elegant sitting room he stood in boasted comfortable winged back chairs and overstuffed sofas surrounding a large stone hearth. The windows were covered, floor-to-ceiling by heavy blackout drapes that provided amble security for the manor's inhabitants from the harmful rays of the sun.

Sighing softly as he continued to wait, Daniel hoped that the man he expected to see shortly would have some definitive news for him about the elusive Gerard McKenzie, and what, if anything, he wanted with Shivvy McRae. Suddenly small flashes of brilliant light engulfed in darkness deeper than the night swirled around the stone wall that surrounded the overgrown garden, and the young vampire knew his guest had arrived.

Moving swiftly into the grand entrance hall, Daniel opened the heavy oak door to admit his guest, Aidan Briosag, the High Warlock of Edinburgh. Aidan brushed past him into the manor, a curt nod the only indication that he was greeting someone he knew.

"Have you heard from Shivvy?" He asked before sweeping off his dark cloak and handing it to the boy.

"No, not a word;" Daniel replied somberly as he took up the cloak and led Aidan into the lounge he'd recently abandoned. A fitful fire flickered on the hearth, creating strange shadows in the deep corners of the room.

Aidan Briosag frowned at Daniel's response. The High Warlock had never particularly liked Gerard McKenzie, finding him arrogant and officious, but he'd known no actual ill of the man, and relations between the Edinburgh downworld and the Clave had improved over the course of his tenure as head of the Institute. Aidan hadn't expected to find much of interest when Daniel asked him to check out McKenzie, he understood that the young vampire would be suspicious, but showing interest in Shivvy McRae was hardly a crime; besides Aidan thought Shivvy quite capable of taking care of herself.

Once the High Warlock began to scratch the surface, however, he became more concerned. Gerard McKenzie was a man with secrets, dangerous secrets. The first piece of information that came Aidan's way was that a particularly loathsome potion maker by the name of Marcus Gorgon had been seen slipping into the back door of the Edinburgh Institute. Gorgon had made a name for himself throughout eastern Europe for to his willingness to experiment with highly dangerous ingredients on innocent mundanes and downworlders. Broisag was not at all pleased to find this warlock visiting his beloved city, and suspicious of what business he could have with the local shadowhunters.

The second piece of information, and just as disturbing, was that the Hellfire club was recruiting again. In the past, Aidan Briosag had suspected there might be a link between the Edinburgh Institute and the Hellfire Club, but he had no actual proof, and that was not a charge to be leveled lightly. With the terrible history that existed between the Clave and the Edinburgh downworld, Aidan did not trust the shadowhunters to adequately investigate or police their own. It had been with great reluctance he decided to use the only method he had of determining the truth of his suspicions, he summoned a demon. Aidan Briosag was an old and powerful warlock, and he knew that such an act was fraught with danger, not only to himself as the summoner, but also to the mundane world if he failed to control the situation. It had been a harrowing experience, but the upshot was he knew the Hellfire Club was meeting at Eilean Donan, and Shivvy McRae was likely in mortal danger.

All that remained now was to update Daniel on what he'd discovered and help the young vampire to get his beloved Shivvy away from this cursed place.

* * *

Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Sooo sorry for the delay getting this posted. Lots of family stuff going on which has left little time for writing. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I will try not to be so late again.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Deep within the heart of Eilean Donan, in a stone room with no windows and no obvious door, five people, and one demon, sat around a large rectangular table. The room was lit by three candelabras, each containing six black tapers, and by the fire that blazed on the ancient hearth. Carved deeply into the great mantel that surrounded the fireplace was a large capital 'H' split diagonally by a scrolled lowercase 'f' which stood for Hellfire. The letters were surrounded by nine concentric circles representing the nine circles of Hell. A devil's mask that dipped into the top three circles completed the demonic emblem.

Gerard McKenzie, Abbot of the Hellfire club, sat at the top of the table and called his council to order. At his right sat the Sacrist, fellow shadowhunter Isaiah Blackwell who was responsible for the club's treasury and finances. On Gerard's left sat the Circuitor, a vampire named Madeline Pyre who was responsible for discipline within the ranks of the Hellfire club. She was the only woman on the council and took great pride in her beauty, strength and position. The other council members included Marcus Gorgon a warlock and potion maker, Hunter Gray a large, heavy set grizzled werewolf, and Balial lieutenant to Asmodeus the demon prince of lust.

It was an impressive council, perhaps the most impressive to ever steer the Hellfire club and Gerard McKenzie felt no little pride that he led such a group. "Welcome to Eilean Donan;" The Abbot said. "As you know, we will be including an initiation ceremony with this evening's grand ball..."

A sudden interruption in the form of a fire message brought an abrupt halt to the proceedings. The council watched with growing concern as McKenzie scanned the document, his face suffused in anger. The Abbot abruptly turned toward his Circuitor; "I thought you said you'd taken care of Janus Dark!" He snarled stepping threateningly into Madeline's personal space.

"He was as good as dead when we left!" She defended.

"Apparently not." Gerard hissed; "And that means we need to prepare for the possibility that Dark has told Magnus Bane of our interest in his son;"

Madeline took a deep, steadying breath, she was no coward, but she knew they'd messed up not ensuring Dark was dead before they left the potion maker's shop. It had been sloppy and now she was going to have to bear the brunt of the Abbot's anger.

Too quickly for anyone to expect it, or react, McKenzie raised his hand and gave the vampire a vicious slap across the face. A satisfied smirk played on McKenzie's lips as he saw her head snap to the left and a small trickle of blood run down from the corner of her mouth. "I should let Balial play with you;" He said, his voice deadly calm now;

Balial's face, strangely feminine with full sensual lips, high cheek bones, and eyes that were pure demonic fire, lit up at the possibility of having his way with Madeline, until the Abbot continued.

"Unfortunately we don't have time for that right now, we must prepare for the ball and the initiation. Even more pressingly, we need to know what Bane is planning and how to counteract the threat he presents. We will meet again in two hours time, I expect you to have information and plans in place."

With those words still ringing through the room, Gerard McKenzie stalked out. To say that he was angry was an understatement, and it wasn't just this latest development that had tried his temper. Shivvy McRae was proving to be recalcitrant, regarding her potential future as the wife of the Edinburgh Institute's head shadowhunter. The girl seemed to have no concept of the honour being offered to her. It was annoying in the extreme, especially as the girl's mother seemed in favor of the union, but then why wouldn't she be, her son was irrevocably connected to the disgraced Cameron clan. This was a chance to redeem the family's reputation. People would forget, especially if the boys stayed in New York.

It wasn't that Gerrard was in love with Shivvy, that emotion he reserved for himself alone, nor did it matter to him that the girl did not love him. His first wife, Lucy, had adored him and although at first her affection charmed him, he eventually grew irritated by it, no love was not at all what Gerard was looking for. Shivvy was attractive, he lusted after her, and he wanted more children to carry on the McKenzie name, love didn't enter into it at all.

The Abbot's musing were cut short by the entrance of Isaiah Blackwell. "I hope you have better news for me!" McKenzie said curtly, and was reassured by the sly smile that spread across Blackwell's thin lips.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

A sharp wrap on the door brought Shivvy to her feet. Who could want her this early in the morning? A maid entered before the girl had time to answer.

"Lord McKenzie wishes to speak with you miss." The maid looked Shivvy over with a critical eye and the young shadowhunter was very aware she found her wanting. "I'll escort you to the master's study."

Irritated by the young woman's critical assessment, Shivvy squared her shoulders and snapped; "Well, get on with it, lead the way." Anyone watching would know that this shadowhunter was not intimidated by anyone, no matter what their title or position. The maid took Shivvy through the castle's narrow stone passageways until they came to a heavy oak door. She knocked twice and waited until she heard her lordship bid her to enter. The door moved silently on its hinges as the girl stepped forward; "Miss McRae Milord;" She said stepping aside to let Shivvy enter. As soon as the shadowhunter cleared the entrance, the maid stepped out of the study and closed the door behind her. Back in the hallway the girl hesitated, she would dearly love to know what was going on in the room she'd just left, but her master was not an easy man, and incurring his anger was to be avoided at all costs. Heaving a sigh, the maid hasten back the way she'd come intent on finishing her morning chores and then enjoying a cup of tea in the kitchen with the rest of the servants.

Gerard McKenzie regarded his guest with an amount of solemn concern that had Shivvy off balance from the outset. "Please have a seat my dear;" he said. "I'm sorry to have summoned you like this, but I have received news of the most alarming kind that involves your family, and I wished to keep this private for as long as humanly possible;"

Shivvy gasped, what could this man know about her family, or anything else that was of importance to her? With great effort she reined in her emotions and addressed the Heard of the Edinburgh Institute; "I don't understand your concern, please be plain."

Gerard McKenzie was impressed, the girl had courage and spirit, but he was a master of manipulation and though he, as yet, had no definitive proof for what he was about to say, he expected her to believe him. "Shivaun, Isaiah Blackwell has been to see me. As you know, he is the instructor of the class that your brother and his parabatai Josh Cameron attended." McKenzie paused momentarily to give the girl time to absorb his words.

"Has something happened to Ian?" Shivvy asked, her voice laced with concern.

"No, no, I assure you there has been no accident, and yet what I must tell you is, in some ways, just as devastating. Blackwell believes that an inappropriate, romantic relationship exists between your brother and Josh Cameron. He says he has proof, or he would not bring me such serious allegations." McKenzie said, watching the girl's face carefully. He had no such proof, but she did not know that. It was a gamble, and the Abbot loved games of chance, he had honed his 'poker face' well over the years.

"I will have no choice but to turn this matter over to the Clave Shivvy, unless you give me the ability to protect your family, by becoming my wife..."

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I'm sorry for the delay in posting new chapters, I am in the middle of lots of family activities including a wedding. I'll post again as soon as possible, but can't promise exactly when. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The swirling magic of a portal began to shift and morph on the old stone wall that surrounded the back garden of the New York Institute. A lone figure stood, tense and anxious waiting to receive the arrivals. The first figure to emerge was Alec, his face clearly displaying the anguish caused by the news that brought him home so abruptly. Josh and Ian tumbled out behind him and stood by helplessly while Magnus held his distraught shadowhunter tightly in his arms.

With great effort, Alec pulled himself away from Magnus and scanned the warlock's face understanding immediately that his husband had no good news to impart, he waited for Magnus to speak.

"Jace and Izzy are in your office;" Magnus' voice was quiet, but Alec could hear the urgency behind his words. "I'll bring everyone up to date as soon as we join them." Waiting only for the briefest nod from Alec, Magnus turned on his heel and led them briskly into the Institute, pausing only briefly to ask the new housekeeper to send some coffee up.

The woman inclined her head slightly to indicate she'd heard and moved past them to fulfill her mission. Alec frowned slightly as he watched her move silently down the hall. She was the first tangible sign of the horrendous changes that had happened at the Institute during his brief absence. He had been quite fond of her predecessor, the cheerful, kindly woman who had lost her life trying to protect his beautiful Aiden. Alec couldn't suppress the sob that broke from him, and Magnus hasten to place a comforting arm around his beloved.

As they entered his office, Alec could see Jace and Izzy sitting around the fireplace and wondered how things could still look so normal, when his world was spinning out of control. Jace rose and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. No words were spoken on either side, but Alec knew Jace would move heaven and earth to bring Aiden back to his family.

Magnus sat in one of the large armchairs, pulling Alec into his lap, giving and taking whatever comfort he could from the proximity of his husband. It was a mark of how close the small group at the New York Institute was that this open display of affection seemed perfectly natural and welcome, easing some of the tension in the room

Once everyone was settled, Magnus relayed the story that Janus Dark had told him, about the death of Xavier Malum, and the secret of the Curatio Daemonium Insanitas and the Hellfire Club.

"You mean to tell me there are shadowhunters alive today that risk the fate of Benedict Lightwood for fun?" Isabelle asked sharply. The Lightwood family rarely spoke of Benedict, but they all knew the price he'd paid for consorting with demons.

"I'm afraid so;" Magnus replied; "Some shadowhunters, downworlders, and even mundanes are not immune to such depraved tastes. According to Janus the curatio he prepares, although not a true cure for demon pox, eliminates the symptoms of the disease for as long as the victim takes it regularly."

"And you think the Hellfire Club is responsible for Aiden's kidnapping?" Alec interrupted.

"It would make sense, with Xavier Malum dead, Aiden would be the only source of the blood they need for the curatio." Magnus said, steel in his deadly calm tone.

"Surely Janus Dark wouldn't continue making the potion for them if they sent him the blood;" Josh spoke up for the first time since entering Alec's office.

"No, he wouldn't, but Janus said the Hellfire Club had been trying to make the curatio themselves for quite some time, and now they know the secret of the blood, it's unlikely that they need him to."

"So;" Jace said, a grim smile spreading across his handsome face; "How do we go about finding this Hellfire Club and getting Aiden away from them?"

Anxious faces turned toward Magnus and were shocked to see the fleeting look of fear and desperation cross his face. "I-I've spent the last several hours trying to use a tracking spell to locate Aiden, without success." Magnus said, voice breaking slightly. Alec alone knew what it cost the self confident, powerful warlock to admit, that when it mattered most, his magic had failed him.

"Magnus;" Alec spoke his husband's name softly, and might have tried to offer words of comfort and encouragement, but the warlock raised his hand to forestall him and continued grimly; "When I found the body of the housekeeper in the park, I was able to recall her spirit briefly. There were three men involved in the abduction, a warlock, a shadowhunte, and, from her description, a greater demon by the name of Belial."

"Belial, he's one of Asmodeus' lieutenants, isn't he? Alec asked.

"It's a good thing someone was paying attention during Hodge's demon identification classes;" Jace quipped. "What's his claim to fame, other than being a flunky for the demon of lust?"

Brushing aside his earlier dip into feelings of despair, Magnus continued; "Belial is a seducer and collector of souls, he can appear in any form, and usually chooses something that will be most appealing to his chosen victim. He has the ability to wield hell fire, but only in his natural form. I suspect that it is his power that is preventing my tracking spells from finding Aiden;"

"So, what do we do now? Izzy asked; "How are we going get my nephew back home where he belongs?"

"I have sent out requests for information on the Hellfire Club to all my extensive downworld acquaintances;" Magnus replied; "I hope that one of them will be able to provide us a lead." Magnus' arms tightened around Alec, knowing how his words would affect him. If you could feel another's heart break, Magnus knew he would be feeling Alec's now, and was glad that, from this position, he could not see the despair in his lover's eyes.

As everyone struggled to come to terms with what had been said, the tension in the room increased. Jace, unable to curb his restless spirit, began to pace the room, frustrated by their inability to take more direct action to find Aiden. "There has to be some..."

Before Jace could complete his sentence, a fire message erupted in front of Magnus, startling everyone in the room. The warlock grabbed the message and quickly scanned the contents. "It's from Aidan Briosag!" Magnus exclaimed; "And it seems he might have the lead on the Hellfire Club we've been praying for!"

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Shivvy McCrae was stunned by McKenzie's words. The man was trying to blackmail her into marrying him by threatening to expose her brother's romantic attachment to his parabatai, Josh Cameron. An attachment that was strictly forbidden under Clave law.

"Shivaun;" McKenzie continued; "If Blackwell has proof, your brother will be questioned by the Mortal Sword, and if he is found guilty, his marks will be stripped. I know how much Ian means to you, and I promise that if you give me the right, I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen."

Shivvy, who had kept her eyes firmly on the floor while she struggled to master her emotions, looked up now, straight at the man who believed he had her at his mercy. She would willingly have given her life to save either Ian or Josh if that had been asked of her, but her heart rebelled at the idea of marrying the cruel, heartless man in front of her. Even if she had not already given her love and loyalty to Daniel, the young vampire who had risked so much to help them against Lucia, how could she betray him?

Gerard McKenzie squirmed slightly under the gaze of this courageous, unspoiled girl. Long standing depravity, such as his, quickly found its footing, however, and he demanded; "Unfortunately, I need your answer now my dear, if I am to have any chance of forestalling Blackwell and preventing this tragedy,"

Shivvy took a deep breath: "To save my brother, I will marry you, and fulfill the obligations of that decision. But, I will not pretend, to you or anyone else, that this marriage is anything other than a debt you have forced on me."

Gerard smiled, a small, wicked smile. He did not care if the girl loved him, only that she could produce legitimate children, other that Addison, to carry on the McKenzie line. Things were falling into place, and he was pleased, very, very pleased.

**So sorry for the time it took to get this chapter posted, as I mentioned before I had a lot of family stuff going on. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you guys are the best! Hope this one was worth the wait.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Gerard McKenzie hurried down the narrow, twisting stairway that led to the dungeons of Eilean Donan. Several of the dank, windowless cells had been converted into a potion room for Marcus Gorgon's experiments. Next to Janus Dark, Gorgon knew more about demon pox and the various 'cures' that had been developed over the centuries than anyone else, and that made him indispensable to the Hellfire Club.

Knocking briskly on the door, the Abbot waited, a bit impatiently, for the warlock to bid him enter. Though McKenzie hated to be kept waiting, he knew better than to irritate the temperamental potion maker, one could never tell what sensitive, or dangerous potion might be brewing.

"Come;" A brisk, slightly nasal voice said.

The tall, slender warlock looked up from his work table as McKenzie entered the room. "What can I do for you, Abbot?" He asked, but the sly grin on his face told the shadowhunter that he knew exactly why McKenzie was there, and he found it amusing.

You know perfectly well, Grogon;" The Abbot growled, letting some of his irritation show.

"The Curatio, of course, of course, come right this way;" Marcus replied in a more conciliatory tone. He enjoyed his position with the Hellfire Club, and knew better than to push McKenzie too far. "We have almost used up the stock we took from Mallum." He added, holding his breath to see how the Abbot took this news.

"Well, take blood from the child and make more;" The Abbot said dismissively.

"Ahh... That is a little problematic;" The potion maker said, raising his hand to hide the sly grin on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Gerard snapped. "You told me the boy was a perfect match!"

"Oh, he is, he is!" Gorgon hastened to assure the now very agitated Abbot. "It isn't a question of quality, it's a question of quantity. A child that small can only afford to lose a tiny amount of blood at a time, if you want to keep him alive." The potion maker paused allowing his words to sink in, and was pleased to see that McKenzie very quickly grasped the seriousness of the issue. Now that Mallum's remaining potion was all but depleted, only a small amount of the curatio could be made, not nearly enough for all the members that needed it. McKenzie would see to it that he had enough for himself, but he would need to find a solution if he didn't want a rebellion in the ranks.

"How many doses can be made from the amount of blood you can safely take?" McKenzie hissed.

It was obvious to the potion maker that the Abbot was making a concerted effort to rein in his temper, and that he would probably love nothing better than to kill the bearer of such news. "No more than ten doses per week, Abbot;" Gorgon replied quietly.

"I will send you a list of the members, in addition to myself, that are to receive the new curatio. Prepare one of the older recipes for the rest. It will not be as effective, but they won't notice in the short term, and that will buy YOU time to find a solution, Gorgon." McKenzie said grimly. He grabbed the curatio from the potion makers hand, downed it in one gulp and stalked from the room.

Marcus Gorgon smiled as he watched the Abbot leave. McKenzie could bluster as much as he wanted to, but Gorgon knew, he was in the 'cat bird seat', the Abbot was at his mercy. A man less confident in his own skills might have been afraid, but that man was not Marcus Gorgon.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Daniel LaCroix stepped across the threshold of Eilean Donan with the five other novitiates for acceptance into the Hellfire Club. Anxious as he was about what the next twenty-four hours might involve, he was relieved to be this much closer to Shivvy, and getting her away from this cursed place. Daniel hadn't paid too much attention to the other novitiates, they'd met at a pub in the village called 'The Three Sisters' which, judging by the picture on the sign, was a reference to the three witches who accosted Macbeth and spurred him on to murder. The novitiates barely had time to acknowledge each other before a servant from Eilean Donan arrived to take them to the castle.

Daniel looked around carefully as the group was led to a small waiting room where each of them received a drink. The young vampire stared into his goblet which appeared to be full of blood and wondered if that was all that was in it? He knew he had no choice but to drink it, anything else would draw suspicion on himself, and he could not afford to do that if he was going to find Shivvy. After taking a deep breath, he drained the glass and placed it on a nearby table. Within moments of finishing the drink, Daniel felt a bit unfocused and dizzy, almost as if he had had too much alcohol. He shook his head trying unsuccessfully to clear his mind. At that moment, a door on the other side of the room opened and a masked man ushered the six novitiates into a large stone chamber.

The windowless room was dominated by a huge stone fireplace which looked more like a gaping maw to Daniels befuddled mind. Carved deeply into the mantle was the symbol of the Hellfire club, a capital 'H' split diagonally by a scrolled lowercase 'f' surrounded by nine concentric circles, and topped by a devil's head mask. It was all Daniel could do not to shudder at the evil and depravity it represented. How could a mother who purported to love her child ever send her to this terrible place?

Aidan Briosag had helped Daniel plan this rescue, concerned by what they'd learned about Gerard McKenzie and his connection with the Hellfire Club. A lot of the information had been rumour, at best, but it was enough to convince Aidan that McKenzie was not to be trusted with the wellbeing of a young, innocent girl, and Daniel had no doubt that if Aiden was standing here beside him, he would be feeling a similar sense of horror and dread. The sound of a gavel hitting a solid wooden table shattered the eerie silence, and brought the attention of all the novitiates to the front of the room where six masked and cloaked figures sat around a dark wooden table.

In the mundane world, devil's masks were often grotesque, hideous depictions of evil, but the masks worn by the Abbot and his council were stark white, handsome and perhaps a little cruel in their presentation of beauty without humanity. Daniel found himself thinking of Lucifer, the light-bearer, the beautiful fallen angel who had tried to put himself above God. Another sharp rap of the gavel brought the young vampire attention back to the table in front of him. Two, almost hidden, doors on either side of the chamber opened and in streamed a dozen men all wearing similar robes and masks. The newcomers station themselves on each side the novitiates securing them in place.

"Let the initiation begin!" McKenzie's voice rang out echoing in the nearly empty chamber. A figure to the left of the Abbot rose and began to move toward the novitiates. He seemed to float above the floor and no sound of a foot fall could be heard as he touched the shoulder of each anxious candidate. Screams of pain, and the sickening smell of burning flesh was the universal reaction to his ministrations, until he came to Daniel.

Daniel felt the same searing pain, but he refused to cry out. The demon, for it was Balial, stopped and looked deeply into the vampire's eyes, then he leant closer and took a deep breath in; "Delicious!" he murmured and began to laugh, a frightening, mirthless sound, as he walked back to join the others.

"Each of you have now been marked with the emblem of the Hellfire Club." The Abbot said addressing the novitiates who were standing, pale and frightened waiting anxiously for the next instructions. "In two hours time, you will be attending your first Hellfire ball. Each of you will be expected to demonstrate one or more of the seven guiding principles of the club. We will be watching!" With that the council rose as one and swept from the room.

Seven guiding principles Daniel thought with disgust, he had been taught to consider them the seven deadly sins... pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.

**Sorry for the delay, life just got really, really busy. I should be able to get back on track now. Hope you like the chapter and thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys are the best.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 **

Maryse Lightwood slipped into one of the guest chairs in Jia Penhallow's office. It had become something of a ritual for the two women to share a drink at the end of a busy workday. Jia poured each of them a glass of red wine waiting only for the traditional 'cheers' before taking her first sip. They smiled, expecting nothing more than a relaxing end to the hectic day when an unexpected knock at the door shattered that illusion.

"Come;" Jia barked.

Roderick Starkweather entered the room; "Consul;" He said acknowledging Jia's position, "The Warlock Representative, Felicia Phantom requests an interview;"

Starkweather looked as though he would like nothing better than to tell Phantom to come back in the morning, and maybe then the Consul would TRY to fit her in.

Jia took a deep breath and said; "Roderick, show High Warlock Phantom in without delay."

The disgruntled shadowhunter acknowledged his orders and ushered woman into the office.

Felicia Phantom was a tall, elegant woman, not beautiful exactly, but arresting. She had vibrant red hair and glittering green eyes that seemed to mesmerize you if you stared into them too long. Black bat wings fluttered behind her as she moved gracefully into the room.

"Felicia, what can I do for you?" Jia asked crisply, gesturing the woman to take a seat, and trying to rein in her personal dislike of the latest warlock representative on the council. Her self-important, condescending manner irritated Jia, and made her look back rather fondly to the irreverent Magnus Bane's time in that office.

Phantom looked sharply at Maryse Lightwood, hesitating to state her business long enough that Jia felt compelled to snap; "Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of Maryse, Felicia, please get to the point."

"There has been a murder in Salem, Consul Penhallow. The body of warlock, Xavier Malum was recently found, and now a friend of his, Janus Dark has disappeared. I demand you begin an immediate investigation!" Phantom paused waiting to see the effect of this rather startling news.

"Yes, Felicia I have been informed of this serious matter, and I assure you the Clave has already begun looking into it." Jia replied wondering why Phantom would waste her time with this. She did not have to wonder long.

"Some information has come to my attention that might assist the investigation." The warlock said, her cold green eyes glinting maliciously. "It seems that the last person known to have seen the missing potion maker, Janus Dark, was Magnus Bane."

Malum? Maryse thought, why did that name sound so familiar, and frightening? Oh, Ohhh! Chance Malum the warlock who had incurred the wrath of the Clave for marrying a shadowhunter and...

Jia glanced at Maryse and marvelled, not for the first time, at the other woman's composure. Whatever her feelings about hearing this news, no one watching her would be privy to them. Consul Penhallow turned her attention back to Felicia Phantom wondering just what Magnus had done to earn this woman's enmity. "I will pass your information along Felicia, now is there anything else?"

Phantom knew she was being dismissed and didn't like it. "I look forward to getting an update from you on this matter at the next council meeting." She snarled, not caring that it sounded more like a threat than genuine concern to see justice done. Magnus Bane had failed to show due respect either to her position, or her personal charms, and she was determined to make him regret it.

A curt nod of the head was Jia's only response, and she waited several minutes after the door closed behind Phantom before taking a deep breath and muttering; "Insufferable bitch."

Maryse gave her a shocked look before the guilty grin on Jia's face caused her previously cautious demeanor to crack, and both women began to giggle like the school girls they'd been long ago.

Jia was the first to regain her composure. "I hate to ask this of you Maryse, but can you check with Magnus and Alec about Janus Dark. I have learned to trust the New York Institute despite their tendency to take an unorthodox approach;" A small smile broke over Jia's face; "Truthfully maybe it's because they do." She huffed.

"I'll check in with Alexander first thing in the morning and let you know;" Maryse replied as she rose to leave. "Have a good evening Jia;" She added.

Arriving at her flat in Alicante, just off Angel Square, Maryse didn't remember the walk, or even what the weather was like. Her mind was totally preoccupied with concern for her precious grandson. The Clave had no reason to question her story about Alec and Magnus adopting a warlock baby, but if an investigation into the disappearance of Janus Dark was about to begin in New York, and Magnus was in involved in any way...

Maryse shook her head in an effort to clear her mind of the formless fears that had taken hold. She did not need to borrow trouble, and hopefully a quick call to Alec would assure her that there was no reason to worry. She walked over to the discrete liquor cabinet near her desk and poured herself another glass of wine. Maryse didn't usually indulge in a second glass, but tonight there was a chill in the air and her mind kept drifting to that terrible story about the warlock, Chance Malum who had found a way, through magic, to have a child with his shadowhunter wife. It was a terrible, old story, the Clave of that time were horrified not only by the marriage, but by the magic that could produce warlock offspring. The warlock and his child were killed, and the shadowhunter stripped of her marks. Maryse took a large gulp of wine and shuddered at the thought of a similar fate happening to her family, if the secret of young Aiden's birth was ever discovered. The magic that Malum used was still illegal and the punishment harsh. 'Sed Lex, dura Lex' The Law is hard, but it is the Law, the Covenant she was sworn to uphold, seemed to mock her as she grabbed the phone and began to dial the familiar number...

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

The haunting cry of a distraught child woke Shivvy from her fitful sleep. Glancing at the clock by her bed she saw it was ten minutes to midnight and she sighed, it was going to be another, long, restless night. Ever since she had agreed to the terrible bargain with McKenzie, sleep, peace of any kind, eluded her. How had she allowed herself to get into this mess, she loved her brother Ian and his parabatai Josh, and she wanted to protect them more than anything, but to end her relationship with Daniel and tie herself to a man she detested...

The terrified, lonely cry came again breaking into the girl's tortured thoughts. She had heard it before and wondered why no one seemed to try to comfort the distressed child. Rising to her feet, Shivvy moved quietly to the door of her room and looked cautiously out into the hallway. Once she'd ascertained the way was clear, she crept quietly down the passage toward the source of those heart wrenching cries.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I think I'm back on track to update every other week. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Shivvy was careful to mark her route as she grew nearer and nearer to the source of those painful cries. The last thing she wanted was to get lost in the maze that was this ancient castle. Up ahead she saw a sliver of light around a partially open door and knew this was where her quest would end.

Before she could take more than a step or two towards her goal, Shivvy heard the heavy tread of someone moving along the hallway. Silently the girl slipped into a curtained window seat across from the doorway, planning to hide until whoever it was passed by. Unfortunately the footsteps began to slow as they reached the door, and Shivvy held her breath lest any sound or movement betray her presence.

"What's this I hear, little mouse, trouble sleeping?" The cold, creepy voice sent shivers of fear up the shadowhunter's back. Moving carefully, Shivvy look through the crack in the curtains and saw a tall, thin man push the door open wider to reveal the cowering body of a familiar, three year old boy, Aiden Lightwood!

It was all the shadowhunter could do to suppress the gasp that threatened to escape as she saw the terrified child. She knew she would not be able to help Aiden if she were caught spying, and resigned herself to watching the macabre scene play out in front of her.

"I've brought you a present little mouse;" The man said towering over the trembling child. He snapped his fingers and a small plush teddy bear appeared in his hand. "Don't be shy;" He added holding the toy out as the boy backed away from him. Another snap of the warlock's long, thin fingers and his victim was frozen in place. "I did so hope I wouldn't have to do this. You have no idea how precious you are to me, or at least your blood is;" The man laughed, a high, cruel, tuneless sound that sent a shiver down the spine of the girl silently watching. Picking the child up, the warlock placed him on the bed and removed a large needle from the pocket of his robe. "This won't hurt a bit;" he chuckled seeming to enjoy the fear he saw in the boys eyes, and that his tiny mouth was open in a silent scream, as Gorgon began drawing blood from the boy.

Once he had as much as was safe to take, Gorgon looked into the terrified child's eyes and said; "You really have nothing to worry about. This!: He said pointing to the vial of blood; "Is your guarantee of safety. It will keep you alive and make me one of the richest and most powerful of warlocks." With another snap of his fingers, he released the boy from his paralysis and put him to sleep.

"Well, I must be off little mouse, so much to do, so little time!" The warlock said smiling. "It wouldn't do to be late to the Devil's Ball. what would the Abbot say, but I forget, you don't know the Abbot yet, a pleasure for another time. Sleep well little mouse, while you can." With that parting remark Marcus Gorgon swept from the room.

Shivvy waited until she could no longer hear Gorgon's footsteps before leaving the shelter of her hiding spot in the window seat. She moved quickly into the room and over to the bed that held the sleeping boy. Reaching out in a gesture of comfort, she swept the boy's black hair off his forehead and bent down to kiss him. "I don't know how you came to be here Aiden;" she said softly; "But, by the Angel, I will get you home to your daddies if it's the last thing I ever do!" Knowing she would not be able to rouse the boy from his magically induced sleep, she slowly pulled the covers over him, a sob almost escaping as the child nestled toward her familiar presence. No one here must know what she had found. Shivvy slipped quietly from the room, intending to retrace her steps, she needed time to think, to plan how to get Aiden away from these mad men.

Moving quickly down the hallway, Shivvy's mind was swirling with unanswered questions; how had Aiden ended up at Eilean Donan? Where were Magnus and Alec? How was she going to get the child out of here when she hadn't even been able to send Daniel a message for days?

It was the sound of laughter, and the sinister strains of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet that brought the girl to a sudden sense of her present surroundings. Nothing about this hallway looked familiar, and Shivvy realized she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. On her left she saw double doors which seemed to be where all the noise was coming from. Opening one door, just a crack she saw what looked to be a dark, empty balcony high above a ballroom filled with extraordinarily dressed guests.

Creeping onto the balcony, Shivvy saw a dais at one end of the room which held a large, ornately carved, wooden chair. The man sitting on the throne, for that is what it truly looked like, wore a long black frock coat over tight black trousers. The coat was lined in bright red fur, but his chest was bare. A plain white mask covered the man's face, and a headdress of red fur with two black horns jutting out on either side covered his hair. The whole effect was dramatic and rather sinister. It took Shivvy several minutes to tear her eyes away from the image and look at the rest of those assembled for the macabre masquerade ball. Most of the guests wore masks that prevented her from making any identifications, although some of them appeared to be shadowhunters if the glimpses of runes on their skin was anything to go by. The girl's eyes widened in shock as she caught sight of several guests who wore no masks at all, in fact they didn't wear much of anything, and were cavorting among the crowd on the dance floor, inciting a frenzy with each touch of a clawed hand or brush of moist red lips. Demons! There were demons at this party!

Shivvy's mind tried to rebel at the images she was seeing, demons were not invited guests in the home of a shadowhunter, this couldn't be! But no matter how she rubbed her eyes, the horrifying images remained the same. Suddenly the man on the dais rose to his feet and called the unruly crowd to order. As silence engulfed the room, he spoke in a loud, commanding voice; "Bring in the novitiates!"

Double doors at the far end of the ballroom swung open at his words and a group of six people in black robes was led through the room and lined up in front of the dais with the guests at their backs. A murmur rose up from the crowd and they began to surge a little as if to get closer to novitiates, to touch them, engulf them.

The man on the dais called the crowd to order again, saying; "They will be among you soon enough." Then he addresses the black robed figures directly; "You know what is expected of you this evening. We will be watching, don't disappoint!"

As his words died away, the six figures turned toward the crowd, and Shivvy caught her first look at their faces. Oh God! It couldn't be! But it was, there was Daniel, her Daniel, one of the novitiates in this hateful place! She couldn't believe it, what had happened to the kind, gentle boy she knew, the boy she loved? Without another thought she turned and fled from the balcony.

**Thanks to every one who reviewed. Sorry I'm a little late with this update, but I had some trouble with my e-mail over the weekend.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Maryse Lightwood stood in the garden of the New York Institute as the last swirls of magic from the portal that brought her faded away. In the early morning light, the overgrown shrubs and mature trees gave the place a secret, secluded look that brought back memories of three, small children running, laughing, playing games of hide-n-seek and tag. She wondered why it was only now she found those the most precious of her remembrances, when at the time she had been consumed by feelings of betrayal, exile, and bitterness. Shaking her head slightly to clear away the lingering feelings of nostalgia and loss she entered the Institute.

Maryse smiled slightly as she walked through the hallways of the gothic styled structure that had for many years been her home. She saw that Alec and Magnus had made small changes here and there, putting their own unique stamp on the place. Alec's classic, almost severe taste soften by Magnus hits of colour and love of comfort. The warlock would never have been her choice of a partner for her eldest son, but Maryse had to admit that perhaps Alexander had chosen better for himself than she would have done.

As she neared her son's office, Maryse began to think about the reasons for this unscheduled visit. The call she had made last evening had gone unanswered, not entirely unheard of, if nightly patrols had been more lively than usual. New York was a big city, home to many downworlders and mundanes. It required vigilance to ensure the safety of the populace from demon activity, as well as keep the peace between the species.

Maryse hoped that she could speak privately with Magnus and forestall any Clave investigation into the disappearance of Janus Dark involving the New York Institute. It wasn't that she truly believed the warlock was guilty of any wrong doing, but downworld politics and alliances could be very murky, and there was her grandson to consider. The laws prohibiting the magic used in his creation were still on the books, and if they were invoked it would be devastating to her family.

Arriving at the door to Alec's office, Maryse knocked briefly and strode into the room, not waiting for an invitation. She stopped abruptly as she saw Isabelle, instead of Alec, sitting at the desk.

"Where is your brother?" Maryse demanded.

"Hello to you too, mother;" Izzy responded schooling her features to hide the shock the older woman's sudden appearance produced. "Alec is away at the moment, can I help you with something?"

"Yes, tell Magnus I must see him immediately;" Maryse stated, not wishing to waste time sparring with her daughter.

"Magnus is with Alec, what's this about?" Izzy asked, not liking the look of consternation on her mother's face.

"When will they be back? It's crucial that I speak with them as soon as possible!"

Isabelle hesitated, for years she and her brothers had been very careful how much information they shared with their elders, and the habits of a lifetime were difficult to break. "Is there some problem?" she asked hoping to buy a bit more time to decide how much to confide about the kidnapping and Alec's whereabouts.

Maryse sighed, she knew it would not be easy to pry information out of Isabelle unless she could first impress upon her daughter the urgency of sharing whatever she knew. "A warlock, Janus Dark, is missing. The Clave has been asked to look into it and the first person they want to question is Magnus. The Warlock Council Representative seems to feel that Dark's disappearance may be related to the murder of Xaiver Malum. I don't need to tell you how dangerous a Clave Investigation in New York might be to Aiden." Maryse paused waiting to see the effect of her words.

"Oh my God!" Isabelle sank down in the nearest chair, taking several deep breaths to calm herself before she began to tell her mother the truth of their awful situation. Aiden had been kidnapped by members of the Hellfire Club who were also, very likely, responsible for the death of Xavier Malum. She didn't know anything about Janus Dark's disappearance, but Alec, Magnus and Jace had left several hours ago after receiving information on a possible meeting of the Hellfire Club in Scotland. She had no idea when they would return. The look of shock and fear on Maryse's face told Isabelle that any hope of avoiding Clave involvement was nil.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Aidan Briosag paced the dimly lit room of the old manor where he'd met Daniel LaCroix only a few short days ago. The distant rumble of thunder and flash of lightening, seemed to penetrate the gloomy room, and his disquiet thoughts. Magnus' request for information on the Hellfire Club had reached him here, sent along by his trusted second-in-command, Hamish Nathrach. Aidan wasted no time passing the information to Magnus and was now expecting a party from the New York Institute to arrive momentarily.

The sudden appearance of swirling, blue magic on the far wall alerted Aidan that his guests were indeed here, and he smiled as he saw first Jace, then Alec and Magnus tumble from the vortex.

"Alec, Magnus! It's been too long!" Aidan said, in his soft, Scottish brogue. The smile died on his lips, however, as he took in Magnus' grim expression, and Alec's pale, drawn face. "Whatever has brought ye here, I see it's not good, what can I do to help?"

Magnus grasped Alec's hand as he stepped toward Aidan Briosag. Jace fell into place behind them and waited, silently, for Magnus to answer; "My son has been kidnapped, and I believe the Hellfire Club is responsible. Aiden is part shadowhunter, part warlock, and that has made his blood essential to that cursed group."

Aidan Briosag was shocked by Magnus' words; " What could the Hellfire Club possibly want with my Godson's blood?" It was with growing concern that the High Warlock of Edinburgh heard the rest of the story. "Magnus, I am more sorry than I can say about this, and of course I will do anything I can to help. The Hellfire Club is meeting at Eilean Donan to invest new members, I am here at Daniel LaCroix's behest, he was concerned because Shivvy McCrae is the guest of the master of Eilean Donan."

"Shivvy is here!?" Alec said, startled by the unexpected news.

"The master of Eilean Donan is none other than Gerard McKenzie, Head of the Edinburgh Institute. Aidan replied, waiting for the gasps of shock and muttering to die down before he continued. "Daniel has entered the castle as a potential novitiate of the Hellfire Club, to try and extricate Shivvy. I expect him here shortly. I don't know if your son is being kept at Eilean Donan, or if Daniel has been able to make contact with the girl, but at very least he should be able to tell us the best way into the fortress, and who we are likely to encounter while there. I will ask for reinforcements from the Edinburgh downworld if necessary."

"Thank you Aidan!" Magnus replied as he pulled Alec into a tight embrace. He did not know exactly what they would be facing in the next few hours, but he would do whatever was required to locate their child and bring him back safely to Alec, Clave laws be damned!

**Thanks soooo much to everyone who reviewed! Hope you are all still enjoying the story. I am struggling a little to find time to write... lots of family stuff to do in preparation for Christmas, but I will try not to keep you waiting too long between chapters.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Daniel LaCroix moved noiselessly through the darkened hallways of Eilean Donan. He had managed to slip away during the last hellacious hours of the Devil's Ball, by pretending to have succumbed to the myriad of drugs and enchanted drinks available to the Abbot's guests. The young vampire shuddered slightly as he remembered the scenes of depravity he had witnessed that evening, including the presentation of a severed head swathed in white silk and covered by a large bell jar. It was the head of a young woman, her eyes closed as though in sleep. Her eyebrows shaved off and replaced by two crossed stitches. In an eerie way, it reminded Daniel of the stitches that closed the mouths of the Silent Brothers.

Perhaps the worst memories, however involved seeing shadowhunters and downworlders coupling with demons. One of his fellow novitiates had even tried to participate and ended up screaming as he was torn limb, from limb. Daniel knew he would have nightmares for years about some of the things he'd witnessed this night.

On another, more personal level, his temper had been tried to the breaking-point, one of the club members was making crude comments concerning the engagement of Gerard McKenzie, the Abbot, to a much younger shadowhunter, Shivaun McCrae. It had been all Daniel could do not to attack the man and make him retract the hateful words. His Shivvy would never agree to marry the leader of this depraved organization! It didn't really surprise him, in some ways, that McKenzie was head of the Hellfire Club, after all, they would hardly be meeting at Eilean Donan unless he was heavily involved, but Shivvy his fiancé, that Daniel would never accept. He had to find her and plan their escape before meeting Aidan Briosag back at the manor. Daniel knew he did not have much time if he didn't want his absence to be noticed by the Hellfire Club.

Lady Luck favoured Daniel in that desperate hour, and as he continued on, he heard what sounded like an argument coming from a room farther down the hallway.

"You shouldn't have been wandering around miss, master wouldn't like it!"

"I'm your master's guest, not his PRISONER!" Said the loud, unmistakable voice of a very angry Shivvy McCrae. She couldn't bring herself to say fiancé. "I suggest you go about your own business and leave me to mine."

"As you wish miss;" The servant replied, adding; "But I will have to tell master about this;"

"Get Out!" Shivvy snarled at the woman before turning her back and walking over to the window.

The woman left and a few seconds later, Daniel slipped into the room.

"I thought I told you to get out!" Shivvy snapped keeping her eyes trained on the dark garden outside her window.

The whispered sound of her name had the girl whipping around, cold fury dancing in her dark brown eyes. "What are you doing here?" She demanded, contempt written in every line of her body.

"S-Shivvy;" Daniel said startled by the fierce, hostile look he was getting. "I-I'm here to help get you away. It's not safe. The Hellfire Club is using Eilean Donan for their meetings, and you shouldn't be here!" He stepped closer to the girl as he answered her question, only to stop short when she drew a seraph blade on him.

"Don't you take another step, and don't pretend you're not part of whatever is going on here!" Shivvy glared angrily at Daniel, hurt and betrayal etched on her pretty face. "I saw you with those degenerates and demons! You played me Daniel LaCroix, you let me believe you were the same, sweet, gentle boy Lucia stole, but you're not!

Daniel stood there, seraph blade at his throat and stared at the girl he loved more than life itself. "I would not be in this cursed place unless it was to save you my Shivvy!" He tore at the collar of his shirt exposing the livid brand of the Hellfire Club on his breast. "T-this cursed mark I bare for you, the cost of getting close enough to try and help you escape." His voice broke as he relived the horror of his initiation. He could not accept the idea that she believed he would willingly be part of the Hellfire Club.

Shivvy lowered her blade allowing the angelic fire to fade away. "Oh Daniel... she breathed letting her eyes tell him how sorry she was for not trusting him. As she lifted her left hand to gently stroke his cheek, Shivvy saw a strange, painful expression flit across the young vampire handsome face and he grabbed her wrist preventing her from touching him. There glinting innocently on her finger was the McKenzie family ring she'd accepted from Gerrard, the symbol of her promise to marry him.

The look of anger and betrayal was now worn on his face, and Shivvy couldn't hold back a sob, because unlike him, she felt she deserved his contempt. How could she ever make Daniel understand why she had betrayed his love, and her own heart? Yes Gerrard had blackmailed her by threatening to expose her brother's love for his parabatai, but it was more than that. Neither Josh nor Ian would be condemned to death for loving each other, but they would have their marks stripped and that for a shadowhunter was a fate worse than death. It went to the very essence of who and what they were.

"In that cursed ballroom, I heard them link your name with his, and I thought, no, not my Shivvy, she would not turn away from what we were to each other. She would see past the vampire, to the man underneath, she wouldn't think he was damned, and even if he was, my Shivvy would love him in spite of it." The last bit was said very quietly, almost to himself, and Shivvy's heart bled to hear it. How could she ever explain, why would he even try to understand the forces that tore her in two, when she wasn't sure she understood them herself?

"D-Daniel, it's not what you think..." Shivvy cried, stopping only when she realized that nothing she could possibly say would be adequate to this awful situation. Taking a deep breath, she called on all her strength to address him; "I can't leave, and there is nothing to be done about this devil's bargain I've made;" Daniel looked as though her words had stabbed him through the heart, and was about to argue, beg, plead anything that would alter this intolerable situation.

Shivvy placed the tip of her fingers against his lips saying; "No...don't say a word, just listen because there isn't much time. These people, the Hellfire Club, have kidnapped Aiden Lightwood. You have to get him out of here!" With those words, the girl turned toward a writing table and scribbled a hasty map of Eilean Donan. "This will help you get to him with a minimum of delay. Tell Aidan Briosag, he will be able to contact Magnus and Alec."

"S-Shivvy! You can't stay here, I won't..." Daniel began, shocked both by the girl's determination to remain, and the news of Aiden's imprisonment. He didn't know what McKenzie's hold over Shivvy was, but he knew that he would do whatever was required to break it.

"Don't, just don't! Help Aiden, that is all you can do for me now." She turned her back on the young vampire and waited until she heard the soft click of the door closing, before she sank to her knees and sobbed.

**Happy New Year everyone! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the best!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Daniel arrived at the old the old manor house. He knew his time was short if he wasn't going to be missed by the Hellfire Club, but he had to tell Briosag about young Aiden and ... Shivvy. Stepping into the grand entry hall, Daniel was shocked to see several strange downworlders milling about, including some werewolves, and warlocks as well as vampires.

"Daniel! Thank God you've arrived!"

Stepping away from the group, Daniel saw Hamish Nathrach, Aidan Briosag's second-in-command coming toward him.

"H-Hamish, what are all these people doing here?" Daniel stammered.

Before Nathrach could respond however, double doors on the right side of the entry hall opened and Aidan Briosag walked out followed closely by Alec, Magnus and Jace.

The moment Daniel saw them, he ran toward the men that had become family to him, ever since his exile from France. They were the ones who had helped him come to terms with becoming a vampire, losing his birth family, and making a new life, and he owed them everything, including his sanity.

Alec gathered the younger boy into a welcoming hug as Jace reached over to ruffle his hair affectionately. Daniel pulled away taking in the worry and tension in Magnus and Alec's faces and the fact that both shadowhunters were dressed in gear and armed to the teeth. "I've seen Shivvy;" he said a look of pain flitting across his face. "She said that little Aiden is being held at the castle and gave me a map to help you find him;"

"That's good news!" Aidan Briosag replied taking the map from Daniel's hand and reviewing it with Magnus. He had not dared to hope that Daniel would be able to give them news of the child as well as Shivvy. Perhaps if the fates continued to favour them they would succeed in freeing both from Eilean Donan before dawn.

Daniel was also able to inform them of the number of Hellfire Club members in residence, confirming Briosag's impression that their best chance of freeing Shivvy and young Aiden would be to slip in undetected. He had enough support from the Edinburgh downworld to keep an escape route open as long as the full force of the Club wasn't marshalled against them. Knowing where Aiden was being held and having Daniel's knowledge of the Castle's layout meant this plan had a real chance of succeeding. A wild light danced in Aidan Briosag's gray-green eyes as he turned to those assembled in the entry hall and said; "Let's get this party started!"

Placing a hand on Alec's shoulder, as he turned to follow Briosag out of the manor, Jace whispered. "We are going to get Aiden back safely Alec, I swear by the angel;"

Alec glanced for a moment into his parabatai's eyes seeing, courage, strength and a fierce determination written there. He nodded briefly and gave Jace a small smile that did not reach his eyes, then he moved off following Magnus out into the night.

The small group moved swiftly, the werewolves among them already changed into their feral forms. Daniel led them back along the path he had taken until they reached Eilean Donan, and helped them slip into a little used door at the base of the castle.

Once inside, they stopped briefly, Alec and Magnus broke away from the group and followed the map Daniel provided making their way to the room that held little Aiden. Most of the rest spread themselves along the hallways, determined to provide a secure escape route for Magnus, Alec and the little boy.

Briosag looked at his second-in-command, Hamish Nathrach, and said; "Daniel and I will get Shivvy, if we are not back by the time Magnus, Alec, and the boy return, get them out safely. We will join you as soon as possible back at the manor."

"But..."

"Hamish, old friend!" Aidan interrupted. "Nothing is more important to me than the safety of Magnus and Alec's child. You know I will move heaven and earth to get out of here with Daniel and Shivvy. All I need is your promise to do the same for the others I hold dear. Swear to me!

"A-aidan... you know I will do whatever you need me to. I swear! I swear..."

"God go with you Hamish, and bless you always;" Briosag said, giving his long time friend a brief hug, before following Daniel deeper into the depths of Eilean Donan.

As Briosag disappeared into the gloom, Hamish quietly set about placing the remaining downworlders along the escape route, making sure they all had strategic positions from which to observe the movement of servants and club members who could raise the alarm and foil this desperate rescue mission.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

Alec moved swiftly down the dimly lit stone passage. He could feel the uneven, rough stone surface beneath him testifying to the thousands who had trod the same path over the centuries. It was a relief to finally be doing something to save his son. The last while had been a nightmare for himself and Magnus filled with fears for the safety of

their precious child. At last they reached the door and a hastily applied opening rune allowed them to breach the chamber.

A blast of chartreuse magic sliced the air between Magnus and Alec causing them both to dive and roll away from each other. Alec was on his feet in an instance, seraph blade out and beginning to glow as he whispered the name, "Gabriel".

Flashes of blue magic snapped and crackled at Magnus' fingertips as he faced the warlock who was using the terrified three year old as a shield; "D-daddy..." Aiden wailed as he wriggled trying desperately to free himself.

"Stay away, or your son is dead Bane!" Marcus Gorgon growled, inching his way toward the door, always careful to keep the boy between himself and his adversaries.

Alec knew he would only get one chance at this, and the stakes were so high. If he made the slightest miscalculation it could cost him Aiden's life, and that didn't bear thinking about. He glanced quickly at Magnus and though no words passed between them, a microscopic nod told him that the warlock understood and would follow his lead.

Years of training and experience allowed Alec to let go and trust his body to do what needed to be done. The shadowhunter's movements were so fast that Magus didn't even see a blur, one moment Alec was across the room and the next he was in front of Gorgon ripping the child from the startled warlock's grasp. As soon as he had Aiden in his arms, Alec turned his back to Gorgon using his body to protect the child.

Alec felt a searing pain across his back that almost made him stumble, and then the air was crackling with magic as Magnus and Gorgon began trading shots. Alec would have given anything to turn and help his husband, but he knew that his first responsibility was to Aiden, and he headed for the door and the relative safety of the hallway.

Once outside, Alec put the little boy down and began to check him for injury. stopping only briefly when the boy asked; "Daddy, daddy where were you, I was soooo scared;"

"I-I'm sorry Aiden, we didn't know where you'd been taken; but I promise papa and I would never have stopped looking until we found you, baby;" Alec hugged the boy tightly to his chest, ignoring the pain that shot through his injured back.

The sounds of battle from inside the room ceased as suddenly as they had begun. Alec waited nervously, his seraph blade drawn and Aiden behind him to see who would emerge...

**Sorry this chapter took so long, life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story and I hope the chapter was worth the wait.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The seconds dragged on like hours as Alec waited in that cold dark hallway. He heard the soft whimpers of his traumatized child and ached to pick him up and hold him close, but he needed to be prepared to defend them both if Magnus failed to disarm the other warlock. Alec heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Magnus race out of the room and scoop Aiden into his arms.

Magnus would have given a great deal to be able to open a portal and get his husband and son away from this cursed place, but he knew that the expenditure of that much magic would alert the Hellfire Club of their presence, and doom all those who had risked so much to help them. A gentle spell to put his son into a magic sleep was the best he could do at the moment to spare the child witnessing any more violence.

Turning to follow Alec back down the hallway, Magnus gasped; "Alexander, your back!"

"It's not as bad as it looks, I'll get Jace to do an iratze. You need to save your magic. We don't know what we could be facing."

Moving swiftly now, the two retraced the steps that had led them to their precious child, praying they would be able to rejoin the others and escape the castle without alerting the bulk of the Hellfire Club.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

"What are you doing here?!" Madeline Pyre barked as she came face to face with one of the initiates, who by rights should be unconscious on the ballroom floor, not creeping around the castle halls unescorted. Madeline's fragile beauty belied her speed and strength. She was an old and cunning vampire, perfectly capable of putting a whelp like Daniel LaCroix in his place, and enjoying herself while she did it. Within a fraction of a second, she had the boy pinned to the stone wall, her long, talon-like nails digging into the soft skin of his neck.

Too late, she caught a glimpse of sparkling, black magic from the corner of her eye, seconds before she was slammed roughly against the opposite wall and held there like a moth pinned to the bottom of a collector's glass cabinet. "Briosag!" she snarled struggling vainly to free herself.

"Madeline, what a pleasure;" Aiden said insincerity dripping from every word. "I might have known you'd be part of this depraved organization. I don't envy you trying to explain to your followers why the Clave is all over their asses looking for you;"

"Worry about your own ass Briosag it's in more danger than mine!" She snarled and then arched her neck letting out a shriek so loud Aiden thought the stone walls might crumble.

Aiden's magic flashed out again silencing her, and causing her crumple to the floor unconscious. "Come on! We have to grab Shivvy and get out, before the rest of the Club comes running!"

Even as he spoke, doors began opening on either side of the hallway emitting werewolves, vampires and shadowhunters who were part of the Hellfire Club. The two friends found themselves fighting for their lives in the narrow, confined space of the ancient castle hallway. From one doorway, however, a fierce ally emerged, Shivvy McRae. Seeing her friends embattled was all it took to send the young shadowhunter headlong into the fray. She had spent the last three years training with the likes of Jace Herondale, and Alec Lightwood, her fierce instincts took over, these were her friends, her loved ones, in trouble and nothing else mattered.

Still heavily outnumbered, the three friends used the narrowness of the hallway to their advantage, preventing anyone from circling around them to attack from behind. Aidan's black magic shot out slamming and locking doors to ensure no further club members could join their attackers. They backed inexorably to the end of the hallway Aidan shouted a brief warning to his companions, as a huge blast of magic issued from his fingers striking the walls and ceiling. Stones that had stood for over a century shook and cracked tumbling down on the heads of their attackers.

"RUN!" Aidan yelled.

Shivvy and Daniel didn't need to be told twice. The young vampire led them at break-neck speed back along the route he and Aidan had travelled. Periodically, they encountered small groups of club members who attempted to impede their progress, but were more than willing to scatter at the first hint of strong resistance.

The young shadowhunter's mind was whirling, she'd known Daniel would pass on her information regarding the whereabouts of Magnus and Alec's kidnapped son, and she assumed she was now involved in the rescue attempt. There was nothing else she could have done, when she saw Daniel and Aidan fighting for their lives, but what would this mean for her brother Ian? She'd promised to marry Gerard McKenzie to ensure Ian's love for his parabatai Josh Cameron remained a secret. That plan was now in ruins, and she could only pray that there would still be something she could do to protect Ian.

The sound of falling stones and screaming died away as they put distance between themselves and the club members who had attacked them in the hallway. Gradually, however, those noises were replaced by the sounds of battle up ahead, the clash of steal, the blast of magic, shouts of anger, and the feral growl of angry wolves rent the air. There could be no doubt now that any chance of slipping out of the castle undetected was over, and the three friends hurried on toward whatever fate awaited them.

**~~~~~ ! ~~~~~**

The two women occupied the same dark, brooding space. Tension snapping between them like a taunt rope at the point of failure. Isabelle paced back and forth, back and forth, her mother, Maryse, perhaps more used to life's challenges, erect and still, sitting in a chair waiting for the inevitable. A fitful fire was the only light in the room, neither woman had bothered turning on a lamp to relieve the gloom, as if it might shed unwanted light on the terrible decision they would have to make. Isabelle glared at the telephone on the desk at each turn back into the room, as if it was to blame for Alec's failure to call, and tell her all was well, Aiden had been rescued and they were on their way home.

"Isabelle!" Maryse voice rang out, shattering the heavy silence. "We have to call the Clave. If Alec was able to contact us, he would have done so by now. We must act now and hope we are not too late!"

"Mother, you know what the Clave may do to Magnus and Alec if they find out about Aiden!" Isabelle replied, her voice choked with emotion.

"Don't! Isabelle, I know the law, and I know that the Clave has not always been merciful, but if we do nothing... w-when they are in mortal danger... I would rather trust to the Clave than bury my son, and grandson because I did not act."

Isabelle stopped mid-stride; "Promise me!" she demanded looking steadfastly at the other woman. "Promise me that, if we do this, you will fight the Clave, if necessary to protect them; Magnus too!" she added, as if afraid that her mother's efforts might fall short of including the downworlder who was the love of Alec's life.

"By the angel, Isabelle, I swear;"


End file.
